


The Indigo Farce

by revestogers (thenewdarling)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Major Original Character(s), Pokemon Battle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-11 23:57:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 22,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1179478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenewdarling/pseuds/revestogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Pokémon League. The most important moment of a Trainer's life, from the eyes of eight strangers who become intertwined by the competition. (AU, mostly Gameverse)</p><p>[UNFINISHED. PROBABLY WON'T BE FINISHED. ENDS ON A CLIFFHANGER. oops. :/]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. At The Gate

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first attempt at fanfiction - everything up until now has been original fiction, so I'm interested to see how well I play in other people's sandboxes! haha
> 
> All your comments are appreciated, any mistakes or problems please let me know ^_^ Enjoy!
> 
> (C) all Pokémon species and characters - Nintendo, Game Freak, also most of the original characters because most of them are variations on Trainer Classes :P

**Joseph**

He'd frozen at the gates. The entire Indigo Plateau had come into sight at once: the huge ornamental battle dome in the centre, the entire city of stalls and shops and hotels that had built itself around it.

Hundreds of people just, standing around, readying themselves for the competition. Arceus, all the _Pokémon_! He'd never seen this many powerful Pokémon in one place! Arcanine and Rhydon and Scizor and, and - some he couldn't even recognise.

Behind him a swathe of new competitors pushed through him to get through the gates, running towards the dome, laughing and high-fiving. Most of them didn't look more than half his age. Suddenly, being 25 felt like being 75.

Holding his backpack in one hand, he started to amble down the path towards the dome. He ducked as a low-flying Fearow flew over his head after some distant target.

At one point halfway down the hill, when it was too far to stop and turn back, it sank in - he was expected to beat every single one of these Trainers.

A rogue Charizard let off a mighty Fire Blast into the air, and was scolded by his Trainer.

He hadn't signed up for this.

Or, he had. But that was a year ago and a hundred miles away, and from that far in the distance it had looked a lot smaller.

Eventually, inevitably, he reached the dome. From the entrance he looked up at the giant Poké Ball insignia circled with stars, embossed in shining metal above the entrance. It looked like a giant Gym Badge, and he could suddenly feel the Badge case in his inside jacket pocket. Its weight reassured him - gave him some reason to be here.

A man walked past, trailed by a Tyranitar. The ground shook with its footsteps. Joseph jumped back to get out of their way. _Tyranitar_. He'd only seen it in pictures. They had the power to level mountains when they got mad. None of his Pokémon were like that.

He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, and enlarged it. It caught the light from the logo above his head, and he pressed it to his head. “We can do this,” he told himself.

Then he laughed, out loud. Usually he'd be thrilled to see so many rare Pokémon. He watched a Noctowl perched on a postbox, dozing quietly. He'd more than earned his right to be here, and just being here should be exciting. He just had to -

His Poké Gear round his neck rang. It was his mom.

“Hi dear! Just wanted to tell you I bought some Super Potions with your money, I transferred them to your PC!”

Joseph scratched his head. “Um, yeah, thanks mom.”

“So, how's your journey? I haven't been able to get you on the phone!”

“I've been in Victory Road, the reception was terrible. Sorry,” he said.

Her eyes went so wide they filled the screen. “Does that mean, you're-”

“Yes, mom, don't make a big deal about it!”

“Oh, just wait til I tell your father, he’ll be so pleased!” she said. “Everyone in town is talking about you, you know - some of the older ones thought they’d never live to see the day Cherrygrove City was on that Pokémon League billboard.”

A half-dozen Butterfree started using Whirlwind in his stomach. “Huh. That so,” he said.

“We’re all counting on you to do us proud, Joe! The whole city is watching you, so go for gold!”

“Hehe, yeah mom!” He mimed an enthusiastic thumbs-up and failed miserably. “Listen, I gotta go register, I'll talk to you later.”

“Sure thing dear, just remember, we’re all rooting for you!”

“Yep.”

His mom put her finger on her chin, thinking. “You know I think your great-grandfather got a TV for the occasion..”

He wanted to be sick. “Oh, good! Really?” She didn't seem to pick up on the panic in his voice, but then she never did.

“Yeah! You're all anyone talks about - our big Pokémon League superstar!”

“Okaygottagobye!” he shouted, and hung up before she could say anything else.

He needed to sit down. He really needed to sit down...

He took a few tumbling steps towards the entrance, and the glass doors to the dome slid open.

**

He found himself in a wide-open lobby, he noticed, once he'd sat down for a few minutes and put his head between his knees. It kind of looked like a Pokémon Center, he noted - but bigger. Six circular counters dotted the room in a circle, each of them with their own Nurse Joy, registering people for the tournament, answering questions, and helping Pokémon. The regularity of it set Joseph’s mind at ease a little.

He got up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, and strode to the nearest desk. “I’d like to register please,” he said, producing his Trainer Card.

She took it, and plugging it into the machine, tapped away at a computer. A picture of him lit up the monitor and he cringed. It was his passport photo. He'd wanted to make himself look presentable so he'd tried to comb his messy sandy hair, but it had so many tugs it ended up looking like a crow’s nest. His lopsided grin beamed out at them from the computer screen.

Nurse Joy, the consummate professional, didn't seem to notice. “Thank you - if you could please register the six Pokémon you will be using on your team?” she asked, pressing a button. A panel slid away, revealing six Poké Ball sized holes in the desk.

Joseph, gulping, put his precious team in the holes. He couldn't change his line-up now, it'd be these six until the end of the competition.

His Pokémon flashed on screen, and Nurse Joy smiled. “All done, you can take them back now.” She produced a map and a keycard and gave it to him with his Trainer Card. “You're in B Block, good luck!”

“Thanks, you too,” he said, then slapped himself in the forehead. “I mean, you're not competing, but-”

“Come on, kid, you're holding up the line!” a Cooltrainer behind him said.

“Right,” Joseph said, moving aside. He rubbed his face. It must be the nerves. His foot was just firmly in his mouth today.

Putting the Trainer Card back in his pocket, he opened the map up. It was bigger than it looked. He held it at arms length so he could see the whole thing.

“This place is too damn big...” he said. Trainer’s Village took up most of the south-eastern quadrant. He supposed he should probably go there first. He took a few blind steps, then collided with someone.

They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, the map wrapped round Joseph like a fallen parachute. He wriggled and tried to push free but the two of them shouted in pain and it only seemed to make it worse.

When Joseph had finally managed to detach himself and stand up, he dusted off his long shorts, and burned bright red as he realised most of the lobby was giggling at them.

He looked up, and reached out a hand to shake. “Hey, sorry about that, I should've been looking where I was goi..”

He trailed off. The hand met dead air. He gulped.

Standing before him, flustered and pissed off, was Will. The master Psychic-type Trainer of the entire Johto region.


	2. Blog Post of an Elitist Forum Mod

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said in the summary, the story takes place from multiple points of view - it shouldn't be too hard to keep up, but it does mean it'll take a few chapters til all the characters are coming into play.
> 
> Again, comments appreciated :D

**Reggie**

_Hey Reggierocks,_

_Sorry I've not updated in a while - been doing some last-minute training for the League - don't want to do badly with so many of you watching._

_It's hard to judge the standards of the Competition this year. There's a lot of showboating, possibly due to the amount of Pro League Trainers attending this year, or maybe just coincidence. Either way it's irritating to see people that try and get a leg up with intimidation rather than skill._

_By the way, I've noticed my ask box piling up in my absence - sorry about that, I'll get to it as soon as I can, but please remember as always negative comments will be deleted - I can and will block trolls and haters._

_The decision this year to have people choose teams before entering is a divisive one, but personally I like it - too many scrubs in years past have gotten much further than they should've done simply by having unpredictable team decisions, rather than methodically raising a perfect team. Of course, none of them ever won, but anyways I'm ranting._

_Don't want to divulge too much about my team in specifics to be honest, since everyone can see the line-up on the League Database, but I've been training my Muk with a Reset Bag, have decided in this team it’s probably more useful in a tanking capacity than the offensive Choice Specs Gunk Shot set I was running last year (which I've seen a few people running since - hilarious but also heart-warming)._

_I'm doing a giveaway after the League, an Earthquake TM if I can get to two million subscribers, so spread the word._

_I'd better go, someone's knocking on my door - talk to you later_

_Reggie_

_Edit: btw if anyone on campus sees me, please don't approach me, I'm a very private person. However if you have a TM for Substitute, I am in desperate need of one and the stock at the Mart here is a shambles_


	3. Where There's A Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joseph: a 25-year-old man who still has to phone his mother every other day. Bless.

**Joseph**

“I'm I'm I'm, Arceus, I'm sorry,” Joseph said. “I didn't mean to-”

“Oh god, save your breath,” Will brushed off his purple dinner jacket and fixed his mask, which had slipped slightly. “Look. I don't expect someone like you to have all the social graces of a competition like this..”

Joseph just blinked like a Bunnelby on a train track. “What?”

“But you should at least have the ability to walk without walking into people dammit!” He bounced on his tip-toes as he shouted, curling his hands into fists.

“Hey, listen man, I'm sorry, it was an accident!”

“You know people like you are the reason I need insurance,” Will said.

“I-” Joseph had no idea what to say. He had never met anyone like this before, not in all of his journey across the region. “Listen, I think you're probably stressed out from the League and everything - I'm a really big fan of yours by the way.”

“Oh right, of course, because you're all _really big fans_. Listen, twerp, get the hell out of my face before I punt you over Victory Road back to whatever little village you came from.”

Joseph's eyes were like saucers. He was increasingly aware of the growing crowd of eyes around them. He could feel a blush rising up his neck to his cheeks. “You're, you're kind of causing a scene here, pal...”

Will looked from left to right, then sighed heavily.

“Look, I just wanted to apologise,” Joseph said. “I'm sorry if I offended you.”

“This isn't a scene, kid,” Will said. A Poké Ball fell from his magician’s sleeve and he thrust it in Joseph's face. “This is a scene.”

He was right. The crowd now started to jeer, making cat calls.

“What?” Joseph felt like a caged rat, looking round. There was no escape from this bully circle. “Like, in the middle of the lobby? I thought there were no unsanctioned Pokémon battles allowed on-site!”

Will smirked. His eyes gleamed even behind the mask. “You could _not_ send a Pokémon out, but then, I don't really know how well that'd end for you if my Pokémon was just fighting _you_.”

Joseph went pale. His hands were so clammy he could barely grip his belt for a Poké Ball. He fumbled with the catch while easily twenty people watched, murmuring in disbelief.

“Hey!” a voice shouted. The entire crowd looked to see a young girl in a clown’s onesie stepping out of the circle, glaring at the Psychic master. Behind her stood a fierce Typhlosion - it growled and its neck burst into flame.

She stood with her hands on her hips, and she shouted, “You know Pokémon battles here are forbidden - stop throwing your weight around!”

Will curled his nose up. “Country bumpkin rookies, why do they always come in packs?”

“Speaking of which, someone of your rank - if you were caught here, the League would probably sweep it under the carpet. And you know that. Your unwitting victim on the other hand...” She looked at Joseph. “He'd probably never be allowed to enter another competition.”

Will shrugged. “Don't hate the player, little girl,” he said. He sighed, rubbing his forehead with a hand, then brushing his fringe away. “Fine. I'm out of here.” As he crossed to get past her, he brushed her shoulder, hard. She didn't yield, but then he whispered. “I will remember you. Both of you. No one embarrasses me like that.”

The girl didn't even give him the satisfaction of looking. Typhlosion hissed at him as he strode off.

The crowd dispersed. Joseph was left standing, a ghost of a man, all nerves.

“You ok?” the girl asked. “You look like you've gone into shock.”

Joseph shook himself. “Yeah. Yeah.” He nodded, as if convincing himself. He reached out a hand and shook hers. “Thanks for that by the way, I owe you.”

She shrugged. “Meh. You get a few of those uppity types. Not often one of the actually world-class trainers are like that, but I guess it must have gone to his head.” She pulled her long blonde hair back and wrapped it in a scrunchie kept on her wrist. “I'm Alexis.”

“Joseph,” Joseph said. He raised an eyebrow, noting her clothes. “That's an interesting get-up. Everyone dress like that where you're from?”

Alexis laughed. “Not exactly. But it's fire-proof. I come from a long line of Firebreathers.”

“That's pretty impressive,” Joseph said. “And it explains the, uh,” he pointed at Typhlosion. It grinned and leaned forward. He scratched it behind the ears - its fur was course, like dry grass.

“Yeah,” Alexis beamed. “Typhlosion’s my pride and joy. Me and him have been together since the beginning. So, you come from any Pokémon stock?”

Joseph laughed. “Yeah, not quite. I'm the first person from my town ever to get this far. To be honest I feel a little out of my depth.”

Alexis smiled. “I wouldn't worry about that - it's not a feeling that ever goes away. Especially here. The Indigo Conference has all the best trainers of two regions, so there's always hundreds of amazing Trainers. Especially this year, there's a lot of Pro Leaguers coming out of the woodwork.”

“It's kind of off-putting if I'm honest,” Joseph said. He was getting tunnel vision.

“Are you kidding?” Alexis asked. “Why would you want to compete in such an amazing competition if it wasn't a challenge?”

Joseph opened, then closed, then opened his mouth again. “Because..”

“You know you look like a Victreebel when you do that,” she said. She looked up at the view screen above Nurse Joy’s desk, showing aerial footage of the Plateau on the news. She smiled. “We’re part of something huge. We’ve all earned the right to be here, and now we’re going to find out how we stack up against some of the best in the world. Right here, right now - we’re making history.”

Joseph watched the news feed. Banners scrolled along the bottom. “When you put it like that, it sounds pretty good.”

Alexis turned, and saw Officer Jenny strolling into the room, looking around. “Uh, Joseph? We’d better get out of here. I think Nurse Joy called security on you and Will.”


	4. Trainer's Village

**Joseph**

 

“Well, here it is,” Joseph said. The Trainer’s Village was a quaint little arrangement of new-build bungalows with red stone walls, all with an accompanying letter emblazoned on them.

“I guess this must be where we part ways,” Alexis said. She held up her keycard. It read ’B7’ in large black print. “I'm in B block.”

Joseph raised an eyebrow and his card to show her. B4.

Alexis narrowed her eyes. “I hope you're not following me because you think I'll help you in the tournament.”

They laughed. “Not in the slightest,” he said.

“Good. Because here? THERE IS NO MERCY.” She didn't look like she was kidding. Both her and Typhlosion’s eyes burned as they shared a matching determined air-punch.

“Uh... Right.”

**

There was a sign on their building that read, “You don't have to be crazy to work here, _but it helps_!” accompanied by a picture of a happy Sunflora.

“Aww, that's nice,” Joseph said, smiling to himself.

Alexis looked back at him incredulously. “You are so lame.” She and Typhlosion keycarded the door, and it clicked open. The three of them peered in as the hall light came on automatically.

It was a long corridor which bottle-necked into a kitchen. Off the side of the corridor were rooms with numbers on them.

“I guess these are our rooms,” Joseph said, keycarding his door open.

Behind him, Alexis had done the same. She pushed the door open, beaming. “Swag!” she shouted,  and leapt onto her bed in a belly flop. “I gotta put my posters up here!” she said, standing up and jumping on the bed. Joseph completely forgotten, he shook his head with a smile. Typhlosion waved to him, and gently closed the door.

**

Joseph didn't really look at his room all that much. After a quick inspection (which mainly involved checking for damp) he threw his backpack onto the bed and headed down to the kitchen.

He jumped when he saw that there was someone sitting at the table. Possibly a bit too much, because the guy - a tall, bald tank of a man wearing a leather jacket - looked a little put out by it.

“Yikes! You scared the living daylights out of me!” Joseph laughed. “I didn't know there was anyone in yet.”

The man stood up. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. I'll uh, just leave you to get settled in.” He moved with surprising haste and was past Joseph before he could do anything.

“No no, wait!” Joseph said. “What's your name?”

The man stopped by his door at the other end of the hall nearest the door. “I'm Nicky,” he said.

“Nice to meet you, Nicky. I'm Joseph,” he smiled.

Nicky nodded. “Yeah. You too,” he said, and then, looking at his feet, he went into his room and closed the door.

“Oh, _Tauros_. Well done again, Joe. As usual. A sterling job.”

Alexis's door opened and her head poked out. Joseph jumped again. She spoke, a disembodied head hanging round the door frame. “I didn't know your name was Joe.”

Joseph sighed. “It's not. Please, just call me Joseph.”

“Yeah, not happening, Joe,” Alexis said, stepping out of her room, dusting her hands after a job well done. Typhlosion followed, making sure the door shut behind them.

“That was fast,” Joseph noted.

“Well, didn't have a lot of stuff other than my posters and what was in my backpack,” Alexis said. “Did you?”

Joseph shrugged. “Nah. I did meet a guy once who carried one of those big trundly suitcases around on his journey. Never understood it.”

Typhlosion was sniffing at all the doors, stopping at the one nearest the kitchen and scratching at it.

“Typhlosion, stop that!” Alexis said. “That's someone’s door, you don't want them-”

The door opened. Typhlosion barked hello happily, and the young man yelped and jumped backwards.

He clambered to his feet, wary of the large Pokémon that was now watching him intently, like a cat with a washing machine. Fixing his glasses, he eyed the two of them. “Yes, what do you want?”

Joseph gave a small wave. “We just moved in.”

“Nice to meet you, roomie!” Alexis gave him a thumbs-up. “Sorry for Typhlosion, he's just friendly.” She scratched her head.

“Oh, this is yours is it?” he said, with more than a hint of derision in his voice. “Well, just don't scratch the door, I don't want the watchman on my back.”

Alexis gave a mock salute. “You got it roomie.”

Joseph narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Don't I know you from somewhere?”

The other man adjusted his glasses. “Maybe. Possibly. Are you on Tumblr?”

“I knew it! You're that famous guy on the Internet! Reggie something-or-other,” Joseph said.

“Just Reggie will do.” He was starting to look agitated.

“Small world..” Alexis said. “So you have like-”

Reggie cut her off. “Well if that's all, if you'll excuse me. I have work to be getting on with.” And before they could say anything, he'd slammed the door shut on them.

“Jeez, what a grouch,” Alexis said.

Joseph was beginning to feel like he and Alexis were the only people in the entire competition who behaved like normal people.


	5. The Wayward Daughter

**Jenny**

 

Nope. It still wasn't quite right.

Jenny adjusted the last gemstone on her counter 90 degrees.

There. Perfect. She stood back and admired her handiwork. With all these good luck charms on her desk, she'd have to do well in the competition. She opened her badge case, and put it in the centre of the little ritual circle she’d created.

They glistened off the light of the gemstones. It wasn't much now, but she'd set it up so when the sun went down, her entire room would be full of sparkly night-lights, like the stars on her ceiling. Her badges creating stars. She admired the poetry of it all.

With all that done, she finally allowed herself to get a shower and get dressed into new clothes. Fitting the purple wig over her tell-tale teal hair, she donned her blue Psychic’s jumpsuit and her sandals.

She looked in the little mirror. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. At least the wig wasn't squint. Yes, she decided. Even her mother wouldn't be able to make her out in these clothes.

In fact, she was counting on it.

Her ears perked up as she heard someone talking outside. Putting her ear to the door, she could make out Reggie's voice, and someone else's. A girl’s? Must be the new roommates.

Reggie's door slammed, making her door next door vibrate. She clutched her ear, cursing silently, but then she opened the door a crack. “Hey guys,” she said trying to smile.

It was a tall, chunky young man with blonde hair and long-shorts, and a younger girl in a clown’s one-piece. They turned to her. She attempted to smile but the two of them staring at her turned it into a strange grimace. An awkward silence filled a good few seconds.

She sensed this awkwardness and panicked. “So! You guys all unpacked?”

They both nodded.

“You wanna get something to eat? I know a good Chinese place.” She realised once she’d said it it had all come out as one word. Oh god why was this happening now? They'd already met Reggie and now they'd think everyone here was a freaking weirdo!

“Uh sure, I could go Chinese,” Alexis said. She smiled.

“Cool! Brilliant!” she said. “This way!” She bustled past them out the front door.


	6. Integration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could've sworn I left the plot lying around here somewhere...

**Joseph**

The Trainer’s Village was bigger than he'd thought, but then everything here was. Alexis and him walked casually but Jenny was practically running ahead of them, like a yippy Growlithe.

He whispered to Alexis: “It's like 3 in the afternoon, why are we going for Chinese?”

She looked at him like he'd gone mad. “What's wrong with you? It's _always_ time for Chinese. Right Typhlosion?”

Typhlosion howled happily in response.

“See? Besides,” she looked at Jenny, who was standing at a crossroads looking for traffic. “She seems nice.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “Interesting. But nice.”

Jenny crossed the road and the lights turned red before they could get there. “Wait just a second, I'll be back!” She called back, waving her hands.

They stopped, confused, as she ran off, but she soon returned with three steaming cardboard cartons of noodles.

“Oh, you didn't have to get those!” Joseph said, taking one. “I'll have to pay you back...” He fumbled in his pockets for change.

Jenny laughed. “It's cool, all the food here is free for competitors. I'm sure there's a limit, but I've never reached it.”

“Huh,” Joseph said. “That's a pretty cool perk,” he said digging into his food.

“Pretty cool?” Alexis asked. She'd already munched down half of hers, and she tipped the rest into Typhlosion’s mouth - the poor thing’s mouth had been watering. “More like, going to get completely abused by yours truly! I'm going back for seconds!”

She ran off, but halted in her tracks after two seconds. “Whoa,” she breathed, in such awe that she couldn't say anything else.

The two of them poked round. A tall, slim man with flowing purple hair was walking past, and behind him padded a lion Pokémon with a large red mane. Joseph had never seen that Pokémon before - he was sure it wasn't from around here.

“Oh my God,” Jenny said, rushing up to Alexis. She pulled them into the bushes. “That's Jean-Luc,” she said. “He's from the Kalos region, isn't he the most beautiful human being in the world?”

“Who cares about _him_?” Alexis asked. “I wanna know what that Pokémon is!”

Jenny’s eyebrows went up into her large purple hair. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, oh my God look at that mane! Its gait! I wanna know where I can get one of those for my team!” Alexis said, and before Jenny could stop her, she’d leapt out of the bushes towards Jean-Luc and his lion Pokémon.

Joseph had watched all of this, and was determined to not get involved. He followed behind them as Jenny sidled up behind Alexis.

**

“Hi!” Alexis shouted, coming out right in front of Jean-Luc. “Your Pokémon is amazing! I've never seen it before!”

Jean-Luc looked rather taken aback, but he smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “Ah yes,” he said, in his thick French accent, “Pyroar is my prized Pokémon partner, I go nowhere without him by my side.”

“Pyroar...” Alexis said. “So it's a Fire type? I knew it!”

“Yes, but it is also of ze Normal type,” Jean-Luc patted Pyroar. It sat obediently, casting its regal stare around the area.

“Fascinating...” Alexis stared into Pyroar’s eyes. “May I?” she asked Jean-Luc.

He looked at Pyroar, who nodded lazily, tossing its large head. Alexis squealed and rubbed its mane.

Typhlosion snorted, looking away in a huff. Joseph laughed.

Jenny had approached Jean-Luc. She was as red as Pyroar’s mane. “Uh, Jean-Luc?” she said.

He turned, looking at her. _By Arceus,_ Joseph thought, _If that smoulder is not intentional I will eat all my Poké Balls._

“Oui?” he asked.

“Um...” She went silent.

His eyes sparkled as he smiled. “You are competing in ze Championships, non?”

“Uh...” Jenny fidgeted with her hands.

“Oui?”

“Oui,” she repeated.

“Ah, zen I look forward to battling you in ze future!” He smiled. He ran a hand through his hair again, and put on an over-the-top pained expression. “ _Désolé_ , everyone,” he said. “Unfortunately I must leave, I have other preparations to be making.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Joseph, aware that he'd said absolutely nothing until now. Jean-Luc nodded at them all, then started walking away.

Pyroar followed, and Alexis looked wistful. Like a kid with its toy taken away. Then she grinned. “Bye Pyroar! Bye Jean-Luc!” She said, and waved with both hands above her head. “Right! Who's on more noodles?” she asked, and Typhlosion seemed to instantly forget his jealousy and ran off with her.


	7. Gone Domestic

**Jenny**

All of them armed with seconds, Jenny and Joseph sat in the little kitchen on the various chairs. Alexis perched on the open windowsill.

“You know, you guys got here really late,” said Jenny with her mouth full. It was much easier to talk to people when everyone was eating, she'd found. To be honest, it was why she had suggested getting Chinese in the first place.

“We did? When did you get here?” Alexis asked.

“Like a week ago?”

“A week?!”

“Well yeah, time to settle in, scope out the competition... Most people got here two weeks ago,” Jenny said, crumpling up the empty carton and throwing it and her chopsticks in the bin. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, then suddenly realised that she'd now need something to wipe the back of her hand with. She sighed, and got up to wash her hands.

“I think if I'd gotten here two weeks ago, hell, even a week, I'd get too intimidated and I’d be home by now,” Joseph said.

“You gotta work on that attitude,” Alexis said. “Dude! We’re gonna be on TV!”

“How is that a good thing? If you lose everyone will see you fail.”

Alexis rolled her eyes. “Never mind. So round-robins start tomorrow right?”

“Right,” Jenny said.

“What's a round-robin?” Joseph asked.

“It's a sort of preliminary round. Trims the numbers before they start pairing you up for matches. Makes groups of trainers, everyone fights three matches and they get a score. Then the people with the highest scores go on to the next round.”

“So I might get thrown out before I even reach the actual tournament?”

“Jeez, Joe, you're just the life of the party,” Alexis said. She nodded at a security guard who walked past the window, raising an eyebrow at her and peering inside. When he finally walked on, she asked, “What's with all the extra security this year?”

“Apparently, someone's been peeking at their protection around the Moltres Flame, so they're beefing up on guards,” Jenny said.

“Is that so...” Alexis said. She fidgeted on the ledge. “Well that's just sick! Moltres is the heart of the Indigo League Competition, and it's horrible to desecrate a Fire Pokémon’s honour like that!”

Joseph raised an eyebrow. “You ok?”

“Yeah, why?” Alexis asked.

“Nothin’,” he shrugged. “So you said we all get split into groups. Do you know what group we’re in?”

“Group two,” Jenny said, holding up two fingers, then realising that she was swearing, and spinning it round.

“How d’you know?”

“All of B block is in 2. Also some of C,” Jenny said.

“Anyone of note?” Alexis asked.

“Uh...” Jenny said. She could think of one _particular_ name but she didn't want teased for saying it. “There's two Pro Leaguers. Karen, that Dark trainer? And, Will.” Her voice stiffened. Even the name felt like poison.

“Oh, we’ve had a run in with Will,” Joseph said, leaning on his hands and pressing his fingers into his eyeballs. “You don't like him either? Brilliant.”

“The guy gives Psychic Pokémon a bad name,” she said, folding her arms. “Total show-boater. And rude too.”

Joseph peeked out from behind his fingers. “You’re a Psychic trainer?”

“The clothes didn't give it away?” she raised an eyebrow.

“How does a blue jumpsuit denote you as a Psychic?” he asked.

Jenny cocked her head. “I have no idea. I just got given them when I went into training with Psychic Pokémon and, well.” She actually felt a little uneasy. “I guess I just never thought about it.” To be honest the fact that they'd just _given_ her a worthy disguise had seemed such a blessing she hadn't bothered to question it.

She started in her chair. “I should go get Reggie and Nicky!”

“Reggie and who?” Alexis asked. “Also, do you need to get Reggie? The guy’s colder than a Jynx’s nether regions.”

Joseph snorted and a noodle came out of his nose. Jenny burst into peals of laughter.

“It's not funny!” Joseph shouted, clutching his nose and blowing. “Ow ow! It's burning! Burning!” Now Alexis had joined in and the two girls were floored.

Jenny was wiping a tear from her eye when she turned around and saw Reggie coming out of his room. “Oh! Good! I was just coming to get you!”

He stepped in, and Jenny could see he was almost shaking. “If you could please keep it down, some of us are busy.”.

“Come on, Reggie, you need some downtime - round-robins are tomorrow, you can't go in all tense,” Jenny said. In the week she'd known him she'd not once seen him even smile. He was so highly-strung she could actually feel it on her skin like a heat he was giving off. It made her clam up.

“I'm not tense, Jenny. And if I am tense, it's because I have inconsiderate roommates who don't know to keep the racket down.”

“Inconsiderate?” Joseph asked. His voice was still nasally from having to hold his nose closed. Jenny had to try to stop herself from laughing. “We were just having a conversation - it's the afternoon, it's not like it's the middle of the night!”

Reggie bit his lower lip, refusing to say anything. Then, like a crack in the dam, he blurted out: “Some of us actually want to do well tom...” He trailed off. Then he tried again: “If you want to...”

But the dam held. And he turned, silently, and stormed off back to his room.

Alexis whistled air through her teeth. “That guy, man. What a barrel of laughs.”

With a blocked nose, Joseph added, “Mbarrel of sumbthing, that’s for sure.” The two of them started laughing again. Joseph groaned.


	8. The Morning of the Round-Robins

**Joseph**

He'd expected to not be able to sleep much that night, but to be honest, the events of the day had taken so much out of him that the instant his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light until just before sunrise.

            He showered, and dressed, and when he was done, he poked his head out the door and knocked on the others.

            Alexis answered first, wearing her finest clown onesie and the biggest pair of headphones he had ever seen, dancing to music that he could hear. That he could actually make out the words to. Why had her head not caved in from the sound?

            “Ready for the round-robins?” she bellowed.

            “I think so, you?” he asked.

            “What?” she asked.

            He pulled the headphones off. “Yes.”

            She snatched them back. “Not cool.”

            “What time do the round-robins start?”

            She checked her watch. “Well, there’s the opening ceremony first. That’s... about an hour from now?”

            “What? An hour?” Joseph said, running to get his belt. “What are you just standing around for? The tournament starts in an hour!”

            “Relax! We’ve got time!” She made to pull her headphones back over her head but he snatched them out of her hand.

            “Get your stuff, we’re going. No-one else has answered their door, I think they’re all already there.”

            Alexis grumbled but stomped off back to her room to push Typhlosion off the cushion he was sleeping on.

**

They got to the main door and a security guard checked their Trainer Cards. She raised an eyebrow. “You cut it a little fine, guys. Maybe next time leave yourself a bit of room?” She gave them back their cards and gestured that they could go on.

            “Yes, absolutely,” Joseph said, glaring at Alexis. “Won’t happen again.”

            They rushed out onto the darkened stadium, ducking in the back of the groups of Trainers, all standing in formation. Typhlosion stood beside Alexis, turning to see a Sandslash two rows down standing next to its own Trainer. The two exchanged a wink.

            The floodlights went up, and suddenly they were all standing in the middle of a star. Joseph squinted, trying to smile while covering a hand with his eye. And then a voice rang out – a voice they’d heard a thousand times on the television:

            _“Everybody listen!”_

            The crowd let rip with a roar of applause that made the ground beneath them shake. The catchphrase meant one thing, and one thing only. The Indigo Conference had started for another year.

            _“We’re back, Pokémaniacs! Back and better than ever! Are you ready for another year of your would-be Champions battling for a space in that illustrious Hall of Fame?”_

            The screams got even louder.

            _“I can’t hear you!!”_

            _Liar!_ , thought Joseph. _You can probably hear this from space!_

            _“I said are you ready to see the best of the best from two regions clash in the biggest damn stadium in the world!?”_

            Stampeding of feet on the bleachers. This energy, it was contagious. It fed on itself until you couldn’t help but grin. Joseph’s heart was suddenly in his throat.

            _“The  245 th Annual Indigo Plateau Pokémon League Competition begins today! Brought to you by our good friends at Silph Co. and Goldenrod Department Store, and of course, your humble commentator Terry!”_

Another round of applause.

            Up on the podium at the head of the stadium, Terry took a bow, his red tuxedo and huge pompadour illuminated by the stadium lights. _“But enough grandstanding! You’re here to see some battles! And with the rising of the sun, we light the Moltres Flame atop Indigo Plateau to begin the festivities!”_

            Terry pointed out behind them, and through the door ran the torch bearer, wielding the flame above his head.

            _“Our torchbearer has been running with that flame for the past ten hours straight, carrying it from its home in Victory Road! Give him your applause! Give him your hearts, folks!”_

            The torchbearer spurred on, running up the stairs to the ceremonial pyre. The sun came up, and he placed the torch to the flame. With a whoosh, the pyre caught and it burned in eclipse of the sun. There was an explosion as fireworks lit up the morning sky.

            _“Now, first up is the round-robins! This first round’s going to be gruelling! It’s gonna be tough! You’re going to be facing three matches and if you want to see that second round, you’re going to have to make sure you do your utmost in all of them!”_ Terry struck a pose. _“But don’t worry friends! Throughout today I’ll be giving you live coverage of all the events, every battle, blow by blow! By the end of tonight there’ll be some broken hearts, some gut-wrenching defeats, but some heart-pounding victories! All this and more! Now shine on my crazy Trainers, go! Fight! Win!”_

            The entire island was shouting now, and even most of the competitors were clapping.

            And when it died down, Terry added, softly, addressing the contestants now: _“This, is the beginning of the rest of your life, competitors. So, may your decisions be swift, your aim be sure, your judgment dance on the edge of a knife, and may the crits be ever in your favour.”_

            Silence.

            Terry sighed. _“Never mind.”_ He struck a pose. _“Give it up for Day One!”_

            The crowd exploded again.

            _“Now starting off the round, I give you... Round-Robin Group 1!”_ The board lit up with an animation, sifting through trainers and divvying them into battles.

            Joseph breathed a sigh of relief. In a few hours, it’d be him being forced to dance on the edge of a knife, but for now –

            Breakfast.


	9. Everybody Listen! First Round!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Battles seem to be kind of hard to get right without spouting exposition or re-explaining things - hopefully I manage to do these ones well ^^;

**Jenny**

Noon. Her first battle. And it would have to be against Reggie.

            He didn’t even look like he’d noticed they knew each other. She almost envied his coldness then. “Hey! No hard feelings right!” she laughed.

            “None whatsoever,” he said.

            _“Welcome back, Pokémaniacs! And for this battle at high noon we have our first contenders from the B block!”_ he said, checking with notes in his box by the stadium. _“In the blue corner, we have Super Nerd Reggie, from Saffron City! And in the red corner, Psychic Jenny from Mahogany Town! Now as with all matches in the Round-Robins this will be a two-on-two battle, with substitutions on both teams! You lose when both your Pokémon are unable to continue!”_

            The referee raised both his flags. “Begin!”

            Jenny threw her Poké Ball high into the air, and her Pokémon exploded onto the battlefield.

            Alakazam. She wanted to start with her best foot forward. He looked back and raised a spoon at her, ready to battle. She grinned. Her Alakazam had been with her a long time. It hit like a tank, and was one of the fastest Pokémon she’d ever seen, especially with its teleporting. Reggie was in for a tough fight.

            She looked up as his Poké Ball hit the ground, revealing...

            Slowbro.

            “Using a Psychic type against me?” Jenny grinned. “That’s a poor decision!”

            _“And it’s a match between Psychic-type Pokémon! With the blistering hare Alakazam, and the sure and steady Slowbro! From type alone, no Pokémon seems to have the advantage, but can Psychic Jenny use her background to her advantage?”_

            “Alakazam, go! Use Charge Beam!”

            Alakazam floated into the air and clashed its spoons together, loosing an electric blast towards Slowbro.

            _“Oh! And Alakazam moves first with an Electric attack! Remember folks, Psychic Pokémon are incredibly versatile! She’s taking advantage of Slowbro’s part-Water type!”_

            “Slowbro, use Protect!” With a nod of its head, Slowbro conjured a forcefield around itself, and the Charge Beam hit it and dispersed into the ground with a crack of electricity. “Now, use Trick Room.”

            Slowbro’s eyes glowed purple, and the entire room seemed to digitize for a second before snapping back to normal.

            “Alakazam, try again! Charge Beam!”

            Alakazam went to move, but it... blurred. Like a poorly taken photograph. It moved in slow motion and the more it pushed the slower it went and...

            “Slowbro, Hydro Pump attack!” Reggie shouted. Slowbro lifted up its head, apparently unperturbed by this blur effect, and let loose a fire hose torrent at Alakazam.

            “Alakazam, Teleport!” Jenny shouted, but it was no use. He was still trying to get the Charge Beam off. Hydro Pump collided, sending Alakazam flying across the stadium and into a wall.

            Alakazam fell out of the wall crevice, unconscious.

            “Alakazam is unable to battle! Slowbro wins!”

            “Thanks, Alakazam,” she said, slightly shellshocked, as she recalled her Pokémon. She stared at the Poké Ball. What had just happened? Alakazam was the fastest Pokémon she knew...

            _“Alakazam is undone by Trick Room! It’s a doozy of a move, changing the entire game! When this move is cast, for a certain time, the slower Pokémon in the game move fastest! This will flip Jenny upside down, let’s see if she can adapt and pull this out or if Slowbro will go for the sweep!”_

            Jenny looked at her feet, brain whirring at a hundred miles an hour. Her entire strategy had been unhinged now. Damn that Trick Room! There was no way any of her speedy attackers would stand a chance with that bulky Slowbro being able to move faster!

            She had no time. She needed a strategy, now.

            Her last hope. She’d need something that can take hits, not necessarily something to dish out damage. “Time to go, Mr. Mime!” she threw a Poké Ball. The pantomime Pokémon appeared in an explosion.

            “Hm, interesting,” Reggie said, before recalling Slowbro. “I choose you, Muk!”

            _“Oh! What’s this? For her second Pokémon, Jenny has picked Mr. Mime, another Psychic Pokémon – but in response, Reggie has purposefully sent out his Muk, who has a disadvantage against Psychic-types!”_

            “What’s your game?” Jenny asked under her breath. She knew not to take this at face value. Like with Trick Room, there was always something going on. “Mr. Mime! Use Light Screen!”

            “Toxic!” Reggie shouted.

            Mr. Mime weaved a barrier from the air and the Toxic struck him through it, dripping poison all over him. Mr. Mime fell to his knee, looking pale.

            “Oh no,” Jenny said. Too late, but she’d figured it out. And at the same time, so did Terry.

            _“That crafty strategist! He’s taking advantage of his lead, and he’s poisoning Mr. Mime! Now, Mr. Mime’s health will be gradually chipped away regardless of whether Reggie strikes him or not! He’s going to wait out the battle!”_

            She couldn’t let that happen. “Mr. Mime! Psychic attack!” she shouted.

            Mr. Mime’s eyes glowed blue and it pushed out with its hands.

            Muk conjured a forcefield, just as Slowbro had earlier. The Protect completely avoided all damage.

            “Mr. Mime! Go again! Quickly! Protect doesn’t always work twice in a row!”

            Mr. Mime moved as fast as he could – but then Trick Room slowed him down. Locked in to moving slower than anything, Reggie shouted, “Muk! Gunk Shot!”

            A blast bomb of purple energy erupted from Muk’s mouth and fired at Mr. Mime. It struck Light Screen, but still sent Mr. Mime flying. Mr. Mime stood up, balling his little hands into fists.

            “Come on, Mr Mime! Psychic attack! Make it a barrage!”

            “Don’t you know any other moves?” Reggie laughed. “It’s not going to work!”

            Mr Mime hurled psychic javelins at Muk but another Protect caused them to shatter on contact with the shield.

            But then, the shield shattered. “That’s it, Mimey! Keep it up buddy!” she shouted.

            “What?” Reggie’s eyes went wide as Mr. Mime began to speed up. Faster, and faster!

            _“Looks like the effects of Trick Room have worn off, and Muk is in hot water!”_

            Forced into a corner, Muk had its large gloopy hands covering its face at the barrage of psychic projectiles.

            “Now lift him up, and throw him!” Jenny shouted. With a grunt, Mr. Mime’s Psychic attack caused Muk to glow, and it slowly raised into the air, then flew across the field, just as Alakazam had before.

            “Muk! Protect!” Reggie shouted, and Muk conjured a field in mid-air, but then it hit the wall, and the field shattered.

            “Doesn’t always work twice in a row, Reggie!” Jenny shouted, sticking her tongue out.

            “Muk is unable to battle!” the referee shouted. “Mr. Mime wins!”

            The poison spread through Mr. Mime and he doubled over.

            Reggie grinned. “Looks like this fight’s nearly over though, and Slowbro’s still raring to go!” He threw his Poké Ball, and Slowbro made its return.

            “Slowbro, use Hydro Pump!” Reggie shouted, and Slowbro let loose with a volley of water. Mr. Mime put its hands out, and pushed it back. “What?? But how?”

            The tell-tale glimmer appeared, the remnants of Mr. Mime’s earlier Light Screen.

            “Mr. Mime, Psychic!”

            “Slowbro, Protect!” No damage.

            No damage. Dammit. She’d have to use her secret weapon or Mr. Mime would go down soon.

            “Mr. Mime! Recover!”

            Mr. Mime glowed with energy, and while the paleness didn’t fade from him, he certainly looked in better shape than he was. “Now charge!”

            “Hydro Pump!”

            Mr. Mime outstretched his hands, and the Light Screen deflected the blast entirely. It shot up into the air and doused the crowd in light rain. Mr. Mime reached close up, and the two were locked in hand-to-hand combat.

            “Mr. Mime!”

            “Slowbro!”

            “Use Psychic!” the two of them commanded at the same time. The two Pokémon lit up with bright blue light, blue lightning sparking between them.

            The psychic arm-wrestling tug of war exploded, lighting up the entire stadium. When the light cleared, both Pokémon were out for the count.

            The referee raised both flags. “Both Pokémon are unable to battle! The match is a tie!”

            Jenny recalled Mr. Mime. “Dammit!” Then she looked at the Poké Ball. “Thanks, Mime, you did your best.” But nausea ate at her stomach. She stood silently on her podium, crushing the Poké Ball in her hand. She was a damn Psychic trainer, and she’d not been able to beat not only another Psychic Pokémon, but a Pokémon she was supposed to have the advantage against!

            She knew she shouldn’t be thinking this, but Will’s smarmy laughing face filled her thoughts. Then she caught the eye of the Officer Jenny by the side of the stands, and jumped. She was staring a little too intently for her liking. She pulled the wig down further over her eyes, and walked out to shake Reggie’s hand.

            “I... underestimated you,” Reggie said. His grip was tight, but his hand clammy and cold. “Perhaps we will battle again in the second round.”

            She smiled, hiding the knot in her stomach. “Yeah. Maybe. Good game.”

            The handshake broke, and she shuffled off in the opposite direction of the suspicious Officer Jenny. She really should have legally changed her name at the start of her adventure...


	10. Battle On

**Joseph**

Jenny had found them sitting in the stands, eating tepid fries from the vendor’s cart. “Well done!” Joseph said when he saw her. “That was a great effort!”

            Jenny sat down, raising an eyebrow. “But I didn’t win.”

            “Yeah, but apparently Reggie is like two steps away from entering the Pro League. Bookie’s had you on 23:1 odds to lose. So, all in all you did pretty well,” Alexis said, not even attempting to hide the fact that they’d clearly been talking about it for a while. _Well done, motormouth_ , Joseph thought.

Seeing her expression falter, he added: “You know, we shouldn’t be allowed to look at these odds. My odds against Reggie are 243:1,” he said, raising his pamphlet. “Mainly because I’m a newcomer...” It didn’t help, and now he felt bad as well.

            “Yeah, let’s not look at those anymore. Who’s match is it next?” Jenny asked.

            Alexis groaned. “Will.”

**

            Terry shouted over the crowd: _“Rex’s Rhyhorn is starting to look a little worse for wear, while Will still yet to sustain a single point of damage! If Rhyhorn goes down, this match is over! Can Rex turn this around?”_

            “Gah!” Rex hit himself in the head. “Rhyhorn, try another Take Down!” The large Rhyhorn ducked its head down, and charged. The ground shook with every giant step the battering ram took.

            Will laughed. “You should have learned by now that won’t work! Xatu, Psychic!” Xatu tilted its head slightly, and Rhyhorn flew into the air like he’d stepped on a mine. Will chuckled, and Rex recoiled.

            “Rhyhorn!” Rex shouted, going pale.

            “Juggle ‘im,” Will said. Xatu extended its wings, and Rhyhorn flew round in circles, roaring as it wriggled against the unbreakable psychic grip.

            “That’s... that’s just humiliating,” Joseph said.

            “Yeah.” Jenny’s voice was tense. “It’s kind of his thing.”

            The crowd didn’t seem so sombre, as it laughed along with Will. The Rhyhorn had passed out now, and no longer seemed to respond to the psychic ferris wheel it was being subjected to. Xatu span faster.

The ref raised a flag – “Rhyhorn is unable to battle! Xatu wins!” – and Xatu dropped the Rhyhorn to the ground with a thud that put a crater in the field.

            “Rhyhorn!” Rex ran out to his fallen Pokémon, putting a hand to the side of its face and coaxing it awake. Rhyhorn seemed to stir, and its eyes half-opened. “Come on, we’ll get you to a Pokémon Centre.”

            _“Getting a bit rough there, Will!”_ Terry said jovially. _“Maybe save it for the final before you start getting your Pokémon to do a victory dance, yeah?”_ There was no actual force in what he was saying though, he was just trying to smooth over it.

            “Why is no-one pointing it out? That’s wrong!” Joseph said. “That’s gross misconduct! I don’t-“

            “Welcome to fame,” Alexis said darkly. “With enough of it, you can get away with murder. It’s a wonder all celebrities don’t go on killing sprees.”

 

            “They’re just gonna let that slide?”

            “People don’t like thinking about it,” Jenny said.

            “That doesn’t stop it happening!”

            Alexis turned. “In a system where he can get away with anything he wants because he always wins, the only way to make sure he gets his comeuppance... is to break his winning streak.” She looked up at him. “Are you going to be the one to do that?”

            Joseph’s shoulders hunched. “I don’t... probably not.”

            She clicked her tongue. “That attitude, Joe.” She stabbed her chest with her thumb. “ _I’m_ gonna make sure he gets what’s coming to him.”

            Jenny grinned. “Me too!”

            Joseph cringed. “I’ll do my best, ok?”

            “Right. Let’s get into the Pro Leagues, and make it a more fair place from the inside!” Alexis said. Then she saw the time on the board. “Oh God, gotta go! I’m on next!”

**

“God, I didn’t know Typhlosion was so... amazing,” Joseph said.

            Typhlosion roared on the battlefield, catching the opponent’s Donphan by its tusks, halting its Rollout.

            “She’s gonna sweep!” Joseph laughed.

            “Typhlosion is the highest-level Pokémon she’s got by far,” Jenny said. “She pretty much leads with him every battle, and the opponent manages to take him down, they usually end up winning. He’s her star player.”

            Typhlosion’s arms bulged as Donphan tried to push through.

            “Typhlosion! Hurl it!” Alexis commanded. Typhlosion reeled back, and threw Donphan high into the air. “Solar Beam!”

            “That’s gonna take a second to charge...” Joseph said. Typhlosion’s burning neck glew white as it absorbed sunlight, a ball of light forming at its mouth.

            Donphan reached the crest of the throw above Typhlosion’s head, and unfurled as it began to come down. “Donphan! Put everything into it! Fall into Double-Edge!” Donphan’s tusks glowed as it used the power of gravity to push it faster as it fell towards Typhlosion.

            “It’s gonna be close...” Joseph leaned forward as the ball of light grew and Donphan came down, down, down – they were almost touching....

            “Fire!” Alexis shouted, and Typhlosion let rip upwards with a Solar Beam that rent the sky in two. It collided with Donphan, who was blasted backwards, landing face-up in front of Typhlosion, unconscious.

            “Donphan is unable to battle! Typhlosion wins!”

            Joseph leaned back in his seat. “Jesus, my heart’s in my throat after that!”

            “Well, you’d better get it back in your chest – you’ve got to be down in the stands in a minute,” Jenny said.

            “Oh! Jesus!” He’d almost forgotten he was actually competing. To be honest, he was almost preferring being a spectator.


	11. Revenge

**Will**

_An hour earlier..._

Poké Ball in hand, Will walked through the stands, on his way to his match with Rex. He raised an eyebrow as that little Psychic girl walked past from her match. She’d disgraced herself in that match – and she had the gall to call herself a Psychic? She should’ve gone back to peddling tarot readings in the small leagues.

For some reason, morbid curiosity, his eyes followed her as she headed off into the stands.

            She was sitting with people he recognised. That clown onesie, and the kid who’d bumped him!

            Oh, of course. Scum sticks together.

            On a whim, he pressed a button on his mask, switching on a camera. It sent a picture to his Poké Gear, and he ran the picture through a database.

            “Jenny, Alexis, and Joseph...” he said, at the three profiles from the web page that the program returned for him.

            Joseph. That clumsy man-child. He’d clearly only gotten this far with an insane amount of luck. Luck, and possibly charity. Some of those boondocks Gym Leaders practically give Badges out just for turning up, and remembering to tie your shoelaces right.

            He wasn’t even really aware that he was doing it – it was just second nature. He forwarded the link to the profile to one of his contacts, and entered the message body: _“Plant some dirt on this guy.”_

            And then, feeling happy with the balance of the world being somewhat restored to normal, he put his Gear away, spun his Poké Ball on his finger, and as he entered the field, throwing his coat-tails back with a flourish to the cheering of the fans, he looked at Rex and thought, “I’m going to mess with this one.”

            A Cheshire grin crept across his face.


	12. Joseph's First Battle

**Joseph**

Jolteon fired off another explosion of electricity into the Whirlwind vortex. Joseph’s Pidgeot was fricasseed, and fell to the ground in a heap.

            _“Ooh! And Pidgeot’s wings are clipped! A poor choice for Youngster Joseph, this Pokémon really wasn’t a good match-up!”_ Terry shouted as Joseph recalled Pidgeot. Joseph cursed inwardly that he had still not bothered paying out to have his Trainer class changed. How could he concentrate with this crowd though? Come on, think. Think!

            Electric Pokémon. But this Pokémon would have to take out the next one as well, and that could be any kind. But if he had to go for power, his Ground Pokémon had power to spare.

            “Ok, Nidoqueen! I choose you!” Joseph shouted.

            The crowd roared in approval. _“And for his second Pokémon, Joseph has chosen his Nidoqueen! A better choice there, but Nidoqueen has a fight on her hands if she wants to bring the gold for Joseph!”_

            Nidoqueen stomped the ground and punched her fists together. Joseph grinned. At least _she_ was enjoying the spotlight.

            “Nice choice,” said his opponent, an Electrician class named Alec, tipping up his hard hat. “But type match-up isn’t going to be enough! Jolteon, Shadow Ball!”

            Jolteon loosed his attack, but Nidoqueen reeled back and punched it into smithereens with a Mega Punch.

            “Now, Nidoqueen! Follow up with Earthquake!” Joseph shouted. Nidoqueen stomped down on the ground and the ground ripped apart underneath Jolteon’s feet, sending it flying. It hit the wall, and was knocked out.

            _“A massive upset! The gap has been closed! Let’s hope that Electrician has some Pokémon that can take on Ground types!”_

            “Ok, Magneton! I choose you!” Alec threw his second Poké Ball. Magneton floated ominously in the air. “Start off with Magnet Rise!”

            Magneton glowed with yellow energy and flew into the air, rocketing around above Nidoqueen’s head.

            _“And Nidoqueen’s Ground attacks will do absolutely nothing to Magneton under the effects of Magnet Rise!”_

            “Nidoqueen, try Poison Jab!” Joseph commanded. Nidoqueen let loose with volleying jabs of purple energy, but they collided with Magneton for apparently no damage. “What?!”

            _“It appears our Joseph hasn’t encountered Steel-type Pokémon before! This strange newly discovered type of Pokémon is completely immune to the effects of poison!”_

            “New types of Pokémon?” Joseph gulped. Well, this is the League after all – all kinds of Pokémon gather here. He dug his feet into the ground and curled his hands into fists. “Nidoqueen, Ice Beam!”

            “Light Screen, Magneton!”

            With a flash, Magneton conjured a shield. The icy blast knocked it back, but the shield held. A slight coating of ice appeared on one of Magneton’s orbs.

            An idea struck Joseph. It sounded like a crazy idea, but it just might work. “Nidoqueen, keep spamming Ice Beam! Don’t let up!”

            Nidoqueen fired another Ice Beam, not even stopping to breathe. Magneton was pushed back, but wasn’t taking much damage even after a good minute.

            “Magneton, fight back with Flash Cannon!” Magneton conjured a ball of silver light and fired it through the Ice Beam, striking Nidoqueen. She tumbled backwards, head over heels, and eventually landing on her stomach.

            Forcing herself to her feet, Nidoqueen roared defiantly.

            Joseph smiled. Magneton was almost completely covered in ice. “Hey, Alec! What happens when you rapidly heat cold metal?”

            Alec tilted his head to one side. “What?” Then he clicked. “Oh no.”

            “Nidoqueen, Fire Blast!”

            Nidoqueen rolled her head round, conjuring a powerful fire in her belly, she leaned forward, and blasted out a five-pointed star of flames. It shot across the field and struck Magneton, knocking it clean out in one hit.

            _“Magneton is down!!! Nidoqueen takes advantage of that Steel-type weakness to Fire!”_

            It was weak to Fire type attacks anyway?

            Joseph groaned. He suddenly felt less clever.

            “Magneton is unable to battle – Nidoqueen is the –“ the ref began, but was cut off by a blaring klaxon.

            Joseph looked up – there was a cross over his face on the billboard. “What on earth?”

            _“What was that?”_ said Terry to someone outside his box. There was a rustling of papers over the PA and then Terry said. _“Um. Oh._ Oh. _”_ He turned his attention back to the crowd. _“I’m sorry to have to report this but it appears Joseph has been disqualified. Joseph if you could report to Security, we have found evidence of cheating.”_

            A pit opened in Joseph’s stomach. He looked at his opponent, who looked just as confused as he was, and then at Nidoqueen. What on earth was going on? He recalled his Pokémon as an Officer Jenny approached. “Come on, son,” she said, leading him away.

            “No, wait! There’s some kind of mistake!” he said. “I haven’t cheated!”

            As he was led out of the stadium, he could already hear Terry smoothing over the undesirable end to the battle and moving on to the next one.

            “Hey, I haven’t cheated, let go of me! Please!” Another Jenny grabbed his arm, and he was escorted from the dome.

 

END OF PART ONE


	13. Interrogation

**BEGINNING OF PART TWO**

**Joseph**

 

A bright light in his eyes. Joseph yelped, and squinted as he made to cover his eyes – but his hand had been cuffed to the table.

The officer pulled the lamp away from his face, resting one leg on the edge of the desk.

“Really?” said Joseph, trying to see through the stars in his eyes. “I thought they only did that in films.”

“You got a lawyer?” the cop asked.

“No – why would I need a lawyer?”

The cop scoffed. “You’re gonna need a lawyer. We’ve got forensic evidence.”

“Evidence of  _what_?” Joseph rattled his cuffs against the desk. “I’ve done nothing wrong; I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

“Oh you’ll talk!” the cop leaned into him. His teeth were bleached white but his breath smelled of rotten tobacco. Between that and the metric ton of gel slicking his hair back, Joseph was ready to pass out. “We can make you talk.”

Joseph groaned. “Seriously, can you find someone who doesn’t talk entirely in clichés?”

The man leaned back, crazy-eyes like a rabid dog. He massaged his knuckles in a fist. “Wise guy, huh?”

Joseph banged his head on the desk.

The door opened, and Officer Jenny came in. “Oh,” she said, seeing the cop. “Oh, for God’s sake, Josh.  _Again?_ ”

The cop’s face soured.

She nodded over her shoulder. “Get out of here.” He skulked out with his tail between his legs.

She walked up to the desk and plopped a slim manila folder on it, sitting down opposite Joseph. Matter-of-fact, she slid it open and spread the files across the desk like he wasn’t even in the room. “Sorry about that,” she said absently. “He’s the janitor.”

Joseph’s eyes widened. “The  _janitor_?”

“He watches too much television.”

“And he's done this _before_? How has he not been fired yet?”

Her turquoise eyebrows arched up her forehead, and she looked up from what she was doing. “I don’t know whether you’ve noticed but our entire civil service runs on nepotism.”

He realised he was staring at her.

“What?” she snapped.

Joseph shook himself. “Nothing, nothing.” He squinted. “You just look, kind of familiar...”

She rolled her eyes. “Right.”

_Duh, you idiot,_  Joseph thought.  _All Officer Jennies look identical._  But he was sure there was something he was missing...

She sucked air through her teeth. “Can we talk about this federal crime you’ve been accused of now?”

“Yes! Yes, oh God, of course,” Joseph said. “Though I’m... still not actually aware of what I was arrested for.”

“You’ve not been arrested, you’ve been detained,” she corrected him almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

“Uh, right. Sorry.” Sure felt like he’d been arrested with these damn handcuffs tying him to the table.

“Says here you’ve forged your Trainer Card, bribed at least two Gym Leaders for Badges, and violently threatened another contestant.”

“What? That’s impossible! Surely there must be some mis-“

“Well, the Gym Leaders in question are currently abroad on business, so they can’t be reached for comment. The Trainer Card Company has no record of you on file, and we’ve got a testimony from the other contestant here with several corroborating witness reports.”

She raised a sheet of paper with several hand-written paragraphs on it. Held by a paperclip to the front was a Polaroid photograph of Will. It smiled at the camera, and Joseph could swear that there was a malicious joy behind that mask like the photo was laughing at him.

“Will?” Joseph asked. “Are you joking?  _I_  threatened  _Will_?” He couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “The guy wanted to kill me! I didn’t do anything to him!”

“Well, I have six people here who are telling me you shoved him in the hallway, and then threatened him. And since it’s your word against theirs, you’ll forgive me for not taking your side.”

“That’s ridiculous, that’s not what happened at all!”

“And that’s before the whole  _forged Trainer Card_  fiasco – you shouldn’t even be in this competition in the first place.”

“I didn’t forge my Trainer Card!” Joseph shouted. His voice cracked with the strain, and he hated how futile this bleating sounded.

“It’s a pretty good forgery though,” she said, picking it up out of the folder and moving it around in the light. “You probably should’ve chosen a Trainer class other than Youngster though, it kind of makes you stand out.”

“Officer Jenny, I swear, I’ve never forged anything in my life, I’ve never stolen so much as a chocolate bar, I’ve never bribed any Gym Leaders and  _I did not threaten Will_!”

She nodded curtly, taking a deep breath and gathering up her files. “A man will be in in a minute to get you your phone call.” And then she left.

As she stepped out the door, Joseph rattled his handcuffs. “Why the hell have you tied me to a desk? I’m not going anywhere!”

The door slammed shut, and then there was nothing but silence.


	14. Cause and Effect

**Jenny**

 

Alexis was frantic. Jenny was beginning to wonder which would happen first – that the Firebreather would have a panic attack and keel over, or that she’d wear a hole in the floor with her pacing.

                “What the hell has he done? _What the hell has he done?_ ” she asked, but no matter how many times she’d repeated it over the last hour, there were no answers coming.

                “It must be some kind of mistake,” Jenny said. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.”

                “You’re damn right it must be a mistake. That guy couldn’t bark at a Caterpie!”

                Jenny’s brow knit. “Bark at a...?”

                Alexis flailed her arms. “I don’t know! I’m sorry, I’m too stressed to think up a cogent enough analogy for you! Jesus Christ, Jenny, don’t you get it? The damn pushover’ll probably confess to murder or something!”

                Jenny swallowed. “I think you’re getting a little worked up, and you’re imagining the worst. Come on, sit down and we’ll get you a cup of tea.”

                “Stuff your tea, Jenny, we have to do something!”

                Jenny looked at her feet.

                Alexis was partly right. But it wasn’t _them_ that could do anything. It was her. But it would mean...

                No. She had to. Joseph’s future could hinge on this. If he was disqualified, he might never be able to compete in a League again. She’d have to come clean.

 

**Jean-Luc**

 

Pyroar padded the ground idly while they stood on their side of the field. Jean-Luc put his hands into his white dress trouser pockets and kicked up dust. Then, he frowned, and squatted to brush the dust off his shoes. He caught his reflection in the patent leather, and smiled, checking the reflection of his jawline.

                Standing again, he saw his opponent for the round striding across the battlefield. She wasn’t headed to her podium though.. She was headed for the ref.  His brow creased, and he meandered out to see what the hold-up was.

                “Ma’am, I’m sorry but I’m not allowed to bend the rules,” the referee said to the woman. She was tall, made taller by her yellow stilettos, and silver hair tumbled off her back in long curls. She stood with one hand on her hip with an attitude that demanded attention.

                Her eyes went up as she groaned inwardly. “Don’t give me that, Will and the others get stuff like this all the time, and it’s an emergency,” she said.

                “Ma’am, I-“

                “Stop calling me ma’am, do I look like somebody’s mother?”

                “No ma’am. I mean, miss. I mean-“

                “Just get it done,” she said. “Or you’ll be working Little Cup from now until you retire.” And then she turned and strode off.

                The referee turned and muttered something into an earpiece, and Terry spoke out over everyone: _“There’s been some kind of mix-up everyone! Sorry about this, we’re going to have to delay this battle a little!”_ There was a groan from the audience. _“But don’t worry, we’ll keep the show moving – we’ve still got plenty of Round 1 matches to get through!”_

                The woman nodded as she walked past. “Sorry about this,” she said, not taking a second glance at him. “It’s about that disqualification from ea—“

                She’d passed him as she said it, but then she doubled back. She smiled at him, looking him up and down.

                He smiled back, a grin sliding across his face like carved ice on a griddle. “ _Bonjour_.”

                “Hi,” she said, grinning. She said it like it contained a hundred different meanings.

                “You must be my, ahh, opponent for zis round, am I correct?” Jean-Luc said.

                Her eyes sparkled. “Yes I am, it is _very_ nice to meet you.” She flashed white teeth and extended her hand. “Karen.”

“Jean-Luc.”

The handshake lasted just a little too long. Then, she jumped. “No! Wait! Emergency. Right.” She clicked her fingers. “But I will see you later, Tiger.” She winked, and strode off.

                “Ha ha!” He called after her. “I sink it is you who is ze tiger, _mademoiselle_!”

                The referee’s eyebrows were narrowed at him. “Does that happen to you pretty much everywhere you go?”

                Jean-Luc tossed his head back, shrugging nonchalantly. “Oui.” And then he walked off, giving a mini-salute to the two contestants coming in after him, as Pyroar followed him off the stage. He could wait a while. This match, was going to be particularly fun.

 

**Jenny**

 

Jenny strode down the halls of the police station as if she owned the place.

Alexis was trailing behind, struggling to keep up. “What on earth are you doing?” she called after her. “Y’know, I don’t think-!” She cut herself off, and then ran to catch up, repeating under her breath, “You know, I don’t think it’s a very good idea to use your psychic powers or whatever to break Joseph out of prison. I don’t think it’s going to help.”

                “What?” Jenny said. “That’s not what I’m doing, where did you get that idea from?”

                “Well I don’t see what else you could be doing...” Alexis said. Then she gasped. “Oh my God! Do you have like, contacts in the Mafia?”

                Jenny slapped herself in the forehead. “Oh my God.” She put her hands on Alexis’ shoulders to stop her vibrating with nervous energy. “Look, maybe you should go wait back in the house.”

                “Are you kidding? I’d give up my spot in the championship to see what’s going on with this.”

                Jenny gave her a sombre look.

                “Right. Right. Sorry, poor taste,” Alexis said. “But seriously, what the hell are we doing here? What’s your big plan?” She looked manic.

                “Well, it’s not a _plan_ as such, but if you’d shut up for a second-“ Jenny said, but then she cut off.

                Officer Jenny’s room was occupied. Two people were having a shouting match behind the soundproof glass – but with the blinds up she couldn’t make out who was in there.

                She went up and knocked the door.

                If the arguers noticed, they were too busy screaming to answer. Jenny made binoculars out of her hands and peered into the room through the blinds. “Is that Karen?”

                “What, like Pro Leaguer Karen?”

                “Yeah...” Jenny raised an eyebrow. “What on earth is _she_ doing here?” She shrugged. “Anyway.” She reached up to the top of the door and pulled down a set of keys.

                “How did you know that was there?” Alexis asked.

                 “They all keep one there.” Jenny was already halfway down the corridor.

                Alexis stopped, waiting for an elaboration that never came. “Ok, seriously, have you like, broken out of prison before?”

 

**Karen**

 

“Oh, come on, Officer!” Karen threw her head back. “Look at that guy. Like, _really_ , look at him. You know Will. You know what he’s like. This has him written all over it. In fact, it’s so obvious, he even planted a picture of himself in the file!”

                “I have witness evidence, Karen! I can’t ignore that!” the policewoman lifted up her folder and thrust it in Karen’s face.

                “You can ignore that he totally paid off those people to say that.” Karen slapped the folder out of her hand. The contents spilled over the floor. “The guy’s a joke, _Jen_ , and you’re the damn punchline! He’s making a fool of your law force!”

                “Well thank you for your, vocal, opinion. It’s been noted. Ok?” She gave the Pro Leaguer the V, and bent to pick up the files. “We have protocols, Karen!”

                “And that guy looks about as capable of forgery and intimidation as I am!”

When Officer Jenny made to open her mouth, Karen raised a hand – “Don’t. Say. A word.” Then she sighed. “Look, I even phoned up the Trainer Card company on my way over. Talked one of the technicians into checking their deleted records – you can’t just delete someone’s  information and not be able to recall it.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled a USB stick, presenting it to Officer Jenny. “One copy of his records. Apparently, _someone_ ,” she said, hissing the epithet like venom, “accidentally deleted him.”

                The policewoman finished collecting her fallen papers, stood, and took the USB stick. Plopping the files down on the desk, she plugged the stick into her keyboard, and the contents dumped onto her screen. “So at the very least, his registration isn’t void.” She sighed, looking down at her desk.

                Karen grinned. “And at the very least, you have to put off a full-scale investigation until you get those Gym Leaders on the Poké Gear.”

Officer Jenny hadn’t looked up. Then Karen saw what she was looking at. A light on the desk was blinking. An alarm. “Someone’s opened the door to the Interrogation Room.” The policewoman snatched her Poké Balls off her desk. “Come on!”

 

**Jenny**

 

The door clicked open, and the two girls pushed and shoved to get through the door.

                Joseph sat rigid in his chair. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

                “Getting you out, goofball,” Jenny said. “Now hold still, I don’t know which key does the handcuffs.”

                “It’s a prison break, byatch!” Alexis said gleefully, keeping an eye on the doorway. She seemed to have forgotten all her former hesitance.

                “No!” Joseph pulled at his handcuffs. “You’re going to get into trouble! You’re going to get me in _more_ trouble! You need to-“

                “What the hell are you doing in here?” came a voice. Officer Jenny burst into the room. Karen watched over her shoulder, looking slightly amused.

                Jenny stood up straight, throwing her shoulders back. “Let him out,” she said, exasperated, with a hint of resignation.

                Alexis’ eyes bulged. “What?!”

                “Why on _Earth_ would I do that?” Officer Jenny asked.

                “Because...” Jenny bit her tongue, rolling on the balls of her feet. “Because I can vouch for him.”

                She reached up, and with a sharp tug, removed the wig. She shook her head, and teal curls cascaded down her back.

                Officer Jenny went pale, clapped a hand to her mouth, and stumbled back into the door. “Oh my God. Oh my God oh my God oh my God.” Her eyes welled up, and her voice trembled as she said: “Oh my God it’s you!”

                Jenny smiled awkwardly. “Hey, Auntie Jay.”


	15. Crouching Pyroar, Hidden Jenny

Karen was trying hard to hide her smile but with no success. The Pro Leaguer jutted her jaw out and said, “Well, _Auntie Jay_? A Jenny’s word is probably worth way more than six witnesses in the eyes of the law, right?”

                Officer Jenny stumbled backwards, losing her footing, hands covering her mouth as she fell into the wall. “Oh my God, we thought you were dead. What the hell are you doing here? Oh Arceus...” Her eyes, shiny with tears, widened. “I have to tell your mother!” she made to pull out her Poké Gear.

                “ _No!!_ ” Jenny shouted, lunging for the phone and snatching it out of her hands. “You can’t,” she added quietly. “You just can’t.”

                Officer Jenny’s jaw dropped. “Jenny, you going missing put her into therapy. I _have_ to tell her.”

                “Not until after the Competition is over.”

                Realisation dawned on the police officer. “Oh my God, you’re that girl from earlier. You’re competing in the Pokémon League!”

                The faint hint of a smile tugged at Jenny’s lips as she felt a little swell of pride in her chest. “Yes. Yes I am.”

                “You travelled the entire region for a year,” Officer Jenny said. “Avoiding anywhere anyone in your family might see you?”

                “I even trained under the best Psychics in the country. I told mom I was dedicated, she never believed me!”

                Officer Jenny was laughing now, one hand still on her mouth. “You always were different.”

                “I know,” Jenny shrugged, grinning. “It’s a curse.” The two of them embraced in a tight hug.

                Joseph piped up. “Does this mean you’re going to let me out now?”

                Officer Jenny hesitated, rolling the word around in her tongue. “Yeah. Karen’s right. If a Jenny decides to drop the charges it’s seen as an official withdrawal of the investigation.” She hunched over, picked up the keys, and uncuffed him. “Also, we – uh, may have been a little hasty with the whole Trainer Card thing. Your files were... misplaced.” She laughed awkwardly.

                Now that the two were standing next to each other, and with _that_ distinctive laugh, Joseph was amazed he hadn’t seen through the disguise earlier.

                “Yes!” Karen shouted. “I can’t wait to see that brat Will’s face when you slap those cuffs around his arms and arrest him for wasting police time and forging evidence!”

                Officer Jenny gave her a look, and she deflated.

                “A girl can dream,” she sighed, the she looked up. “Oh! My match! I don’t know when it is!” She gave a salute. “See you guys in the finals!” she said, and she took off down the corridor.

                Joseph rubbed his wrists. “Don’t want to seem rude, but who was that?”

                “Karen,” Alexis said. “She’s on like the same level as Will. I was actually quite looking forward to her match.”

                “Oh yeah!” Jenny said, detaching herself from her auntie’s hug. “Who was she up against? I’ve forgotten.”

                Alexis put a finger to her chin, thinking. “I think it was, Jean-Luc?” She grinned. “Yeah! That’s why it sticks out, I wanted to see that Py—“ She was cut off by a sharp gust of wind that blasted past her. Jenny was gone.

Alexis stood, shocked, her hair standing on end from the wind. “I..”

Another gust of wind, and Jenny stood in the doorway, doubled over for breath. “Sorry,” she gasped, hands on her knees. “Sorry. Forgot my..” she waved her hand in lieu of a word, padding over to the middle of the room and picking her wig up off the floor. She dusted it off and refixed it, still out of breath. “Ok.”

And then she was off again.

Officer Jenny looked at them all. They shrugged.              


	16. Where All The Rules Are Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _(Notes: Now would probably be the best time to talk about the chronology of the series. Supposedly, it’s set in an AU, in between the events of Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon Crystal (the de facto canon games of Generations I and II), ignoring their (admittedly fantastic) reboots._
> 
> _However, as you may have noticed, I’ve gleefully added in a bunch of things that totally violate these rules and reference future games, such as the existence of all moves to appear in any game to date, and the Kalos region. Sorry. I’m a slave to whim._
> 
> _I did try and keep most of it separate – for the most part, everyone either completely follows Generation II canon or completely violates it, such as Jean-Luc, who is the only Trainer based on a Trainer class introduced after Crystal Version._
> 
> _I only bring it up because these discrepancies create rather interesting anomalies – such as the Dark, Steel, and Fairy-types all being newly-discovered types at the same time. My nod to Pokémon’s gloriously shaky continuity._
> 
> _Anyway, back to the story.)_

They made it to the stand in time to see Jean-Luc’s Dragonair hit the deck from a Shadow Ball from Karen’s Pokémon.

_“That Umbreon’s putting up a powerful fight! The shady powers that this Eevee gained when it evolved have been put to good use – the mysterious new Dark-type is living up to its name!”_ Terry called.

                Jean-Luc recalled Dragonair, downcast. “Sank you Dragonair, you have fought well,” he muttered, clipping the Poké Ball back on his belt.

                “What now, JL?” Karen leaned on one hip. “You gonna send that big tiger of yours to fight me? You don’t seem to know the Dark-type well. I’d say that’s my advantage.”

                Jean-Luc smiled, tossing his fringe out of his eyes with the back of his hand. “ _Mademoiselle_ , I do not need to know your Pokémon, when I know your heart.” He raised a Poké Ball. “ _Et aussi,_ you are not ze only person wiss a type who is, ah, how you say... _unusual_.” He threw a Poké Ball. “ _Florges! C’est toi que je choisi!_ ”

                He threw his Poké Ball high into the air, and a slender creature who looked like a yellow flower-reed erupted onto the stage.

                _“What the hell is that?”_ Terry asked absently, apparently completely forgetting he was supposed to be commentating. _“Uh, I mean, Jean-Luc has sent out his second Pokémon – I’ve... never seen anything like it!”_ He added under his breath. _“If my team want to give me some data that would be absolutely fantastic.”_

                “Aha, I am told zat you do not have ze Fairy-type in zis region,” Jean-Luc smiled. “Florges is my secret weapon.”

                Karen scoffed. “The _Fairy_ type? Please. My Dark type Pokémon will rip through your fairies and take the gold!”

                “If you are so confident, I shall give ze first move to you, _ma chèrie_.” He bowed low. The crowd erupted in fangirl squealing.

                “You ok?” Joseph asked, taking his fingers out of his ears. Alexis was leaning her chin on the seat in front of her, her face tripping her.

                “He didn’t even use Pyroar...” she said.

                Joseph smiled, shaking his head. “Maybe he’s saving saving it for next round.”

                Alexis pouted. “I hope so.”

 

**

 

**Karen**

 

She had this. He’d handed her the match! What the hell was this little flower thing?

                “Umbreon! Dark Pulse, now!” she shouted. Umbreon threw back its head and fired a black burst of energy.

                Florges practically swallowed it.

                Jean-Luc smirked. “Beautiful,” he said.

                _“Well, whatever that Pokémon is, it’s certainly resistant to Dark-type attacks!”_ Terry shouted.

                “Beautiful,” Jean-Luc breathed. “Now go, Florges, use your Moonblast!”

                _“A.. yes? Right? Ok!”_ Terry checked with someone standing beside him. _“That’s a Fairy-type move folks, and a powerful one!”_

                “You’re not the only one with the power of the moon, JL!” Karen shouted. “Umbreon, Moonlight!”

                Umbreon glowed with energy, the yellow rings on its body lighting up like beacons as the pink blast of energy struck him.

                He went flying back, but landed on his feet, and growled at Florges.

                _“Oh! Quick thinking from Karen! She healed Umbreon before Florges could damage it enough to knock it out!”_

                “Florges! Petal Dance!”

                “Umbreon! Feint Attack!” Karen shouted.

                Florges spun on the spot, sending a storm of yellow petals out that filled the battlefield. When they cleared, Umbreon was nowhere to be seen.

                Jean-Luc scanned the field. He cursed under his breath.

                “Now!” Karen shouted, and Umbreon appeared above Florges, landing on its head and pinning it to the ground. “Now Shadow Ball him! And make it a double!” She snapped her fingers.

                Umbreon, pinning all of its weight on Florges’ arms and feet, charged a Shadow Ball twice the size of its usual one, and slammed it down, full force.

                There was an explosion that sent a shockwave up into the stands.

                The smoke cleared, and both Florges and Umbreon were standing.

                _“Clearly this is a battle between two highly bulky Pokémon! Florges took a lot of damage from that attack, and it seems to be confused from the effects of Petal Dance, but this could go either way!”_

                Florges was swaying on the spot, gripping her head.

                “Florges! Aromatherapy!”

                “Umbreon! Shadow Ball again!”

                Florges wafted its arms and a soothing aroma filled the air. She shook its head, and snapped out of her confusion, just in time to see Umbreon’s Shadow Ball careening right into her.

                Blasted onto her stomach, she pushed itself up with her arms, trying to get standing again.

                “Finish it, Umbreon! Feint Attack!”

                The referee got ready to raise his flag, but Jean-Luc smiled.

                “Florges, use Attract,” he said. Umbreon vanished, and Florges forced itself to stand, just long enough to snap its fingers and strike a pose. Hundreds of hearts circled it, and Umbreon appeared, just in time to hit the shield of hearts and for its eyes to burst out of its skull in a cartoonish display of affection.

                “No!” Karen shouted. “That was a cheap trick!” Umbreon swayed on the spot, going googly-eyes for Florges.

                Jean-Luc shrugged. “It is, how you say, my schtick.” He winked.

                Karen fumed. “Umbreon, listen to me! Cover the whole field in Dark Pulse!”

                Umbreon didn’t hear the command.

                “Umbreon!” she shouted.

                “Florges, ze field is clear! Time to finish zis with Moonblast!” he shouted. Florges struggled, but she raised her hand and charged a pink beam.

                Karen squirmed. “No! Umbreon! Snap out of it! Umbreon! No! Please!” Then she stopped. And then she grinned like the devil. She laughed. “You didn’t honestly think my Umbreon would fall for a trick like that, did you?”

She tossed her head back. “We’re the best at what we do – we ain’t gonna get distracted by a little trick like Attract!”

                Jean-Luc frowned. “What are you talking about..?”

                “Umbreon’s like me. He never lets the opponent get the upper hand.” She winked. “If I’d pointed it out straight away you would’ve used Aromatherapy – so I countered your underhanded tactic with one of my own.”

                “ _Quoi_...?”

                Terry must have twigged. _“Oh my God! A massive upset! Look at Florges!”_

                Florges wasn’t aiming for Umbreon. She was aiming for the ground beneath her feet.

                “Florges? What are you doing? Florges!” Jean-Luc barked.

                “Y’see,” Karen said, as the charging beam of light got bigger and bigger. “Umbreon has the power of Synchronise. If his opponent tries to inflict a status effect on him...”

                “Ze opponent receives ze same status effect...” Jean-Luc paled. “Florges, do not dare! I demand zat you attack Umbreon! Do not strike yourself! Do not strike-”

                Florges looked up at him, a tear in her eye as she shook her head, and then she loosed her Moonblast.

                An explosion rocked the stadium, sending Florges flying. It landed on the ground in a heap.

                “Florges is unable to battle! Umbreon is the winner!” the referee shouted, and Jean-Luc’s face on the billboard slid away as Karen’s moved into the centre.

                _“What a finish!!”_ Terry shouted. _“Umbreon turns its opponent’s attack against it for an incredible turnaround! As expected of someone of the Pro Leagues, Karen! A fantastic end to Round 1 of the Round-Robins! And with that, we move onto Round 2! With no time like the present, let’s have the match-ups for Round 2!”_

                Karen’s face slid away, and a deck of cards shuffled across the screen, flipping over to reveal the contestants in pairs.

 

**Jenny**

 

“No way..”

 

**Alexis**

 

“Alright!”

 

**Reggie**

 

“Tch. This should prove interesting.” He pushed his glasses up his nose.

 

**Nicky**

 

He had been watching the battle from way up in the stands. Karen was incredibly powerful...

He gulped.

                His face was stacked up against her’s on the board.


	17. A Bug Beneath My Foot

Jenny hugged her legs. “Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. I am not ready for this.”

                “You’re totally ready for this, Jenny!” Alexis punched the air. “Knock his socks off for what he did to Joseph!”

                “Will is in the Pro Leagues!”

                “Come on, Jenny, it’s just the round-robins! Even if you lose you might still get through!” Alexis put her hand on the Psychic Trainer’s shoulder. “No point getting stressed, you should just go for it and give it all you’ve got! What have you got to lose?”

                Joseph was scanning the boards frantically. “I... I don’t see my face. Oh God, have I really been disqualified?”

                “No,” came a voice. Officer Jenny had come to find them. “I’ve been told about your situation, and I’ve come to say that since you were already pulled from this round, we couldn’t find you a spot quickly enough. You’ll have to make up for it in Round 3.” She cleared her throat. “That’s if those Gym Leaders don’t tell us you actually bribed them.”

                Joseph sat down and let the news sink in. It was much better than he’d hoped, but Arceus. A 33% disadvantage to everyone else. He’d barely passed his first round – he’d practically need his next opponent to give up to make it through.

                Jenny stiffened in her seat as she looked up. Officer Jenny gave the group a salute, then frog-marched away.

                Jenny gulped. “That was my mom.”

                Alexis whistled. “My compliments to your wig-maker.”

 

**

 

**Jenny**

 

Jenny sat in the waiting room underneath the seats. She could hear the first match of the round, the crowd wince and roar at every exchanged blow. Her stomach was somewhere on her tongue. She kept thinking, “Why couldn’t the match be later on in the bracket? Why couldn’t I have been given some time to prepare?” But even as she said it, she knew that if she’d been paired up against him at the _end_ of the round, she’d have spent the whole time worrying.

                This was it. Her chance to show him.

                She clenched her fist. “Time to knock him off that pedestal.” Maybe if she kept pretending to be sure she was going to win, it might actually rub off on her.

 

She stood up, just as a man popped his head in, “Match 2 in five minutes people!”

                She looked in the mirror.

                She’d hidden everything about herself to get here. She’d sat under a waterfall with a crazy old psychic to learn the ways of her chosen Pokémon. And now she was going to use the power she’d gained to show everyone just how tough she could be when she put her mind to it.

                She grinned at herself in the mirror, then turned, and took the stairs to the stadium three at a time.

 

**

 

_“Things ain’t lookin’ good for our promising rookie, no matter what angle you take it, folks!”_ Terry shouted. _“So far, Jenny hasn’t been able to land even a single hit on Xatu while she’s down to her final Pokémon, and Misdreavus ain’t looking so hot!”_

                “You sold out and you still can’t get a hit in, kid!” Will laughed. “Even with a type advantage, you’ve got nothing on a real Psychic master. And I don’t even have to use a Ghost type!”

                Misdreavus puffed out her cheeks.

                Jenny growled. “Don’t listen to him, Misdreavus – we’ll show him just how powerful we are! Use Will-o-Wisp!”

                “I don’t think so! Xatu, Teleport!” Will shouted. Xatu vanished, and the spectral balls of flame scorched nothing but the ground.

                It reappeared behind Misdreavus.

                “Use Confuse Ray, 6 o clock!”

                Misdreavus spun round.

                “Psychic,” Will commanded, and Misdreavus was flown across the field. The Confuse Ray spiralled out in random directions as Misdreavus spun, hitting nothing. She struck the wall, and struggled to float again.

                Jenny gulped. Misdreavus couldn’t take much more of this. But wait! “Misdreavus! Pain Split!” she shouted.

                Misdreavus closed her eyes and sang a lullaby, glowing with blue light.

                “What?!”

                “Pain Split is Misdreavus’ special move, and it’s a doozy!” she shouted. “It may not be a Psychic type move, but it’s all about the linking of two minds.”

                “Stop with the poetry, what’s going on?” Will shouted. He looked at Xatu, who was beginning to glow red.

                “Pain Split does just that, it splits the pain inflicted on both Pokémon, and shares it between them!” Jenny said.

                Will smirked. “And since you’re the only one who’s taken any damage this is a good idea.” He laughed. “The last-ditch strategy of someone who’s at the end of her rope.”

                “Say what you like, Will, but you can’t Teleport away from this attack, and it looks like Xatu is in hot water.” She grinned as she looked at Xatu, squirming in the red aura of Pain Split.

                “Well, you said it yourself. Pain Split splits the pain inflicted and the pain received. Which means, as interesting as your move is – Misdreavus would have to be unable to battle in order to defeat my Xatu.”

                Jenny groaned. “I was hoping you wouldn’t figure that out.”

                The red light faded, and Xatu stumbled. Its wings were frayed and it looked a little dazed, but it was still able to fight.

                Will smirked. “Nice try, kid. But consider yourself swept. Xatu. Ominous Wind, now.”

                Xatu’s eyes glowed blue, and a wind kicked up, dark smoke billowing across the battlefield. It struck Misdreavus and carried her off, slamming her into the ground.

                “Misdreavus!” Jenny shouted. Misdreavus didn’t get up.

                “Misdreavus is unable to battle! Xatu wins!”

                Will recalled his Pokémon, already walking away.

                “Hey!” Jenny shouted. “Hey, get back here!”

                He waved over his shoulder, not looking back.

                “I’m going to beat you! I’m going to get into the finals and I’m going to beat you there!”

                If Will heard, he didn’t respond.

 

**

 

**Jenny**

As Jenny walked back through the bottom of the dome, the next contestant passed her. Huh. He lived in the same building as her. His eyes caught hers, and he looked away quickly, tucking his hands back into his leather jacket.

                She smiled. “Good luck.”

                He looked back, and stopped. “Thanks,” he said, and he smiled like he’d just received a present he hadn’t been expecting.


	18. I Shouldn't Be Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, seriously, I can't even be bothered working out WHY the indentation is going so weird.

**Nicky**

 

That Umbreon didn’t mess around.

                He recalled his Electrode, and looked down at his Poké Ball. “What the hell am I even doing here?” His last match had been a fluke – and now God was punishing him for his good fortune by having him put up against one of the Elite.

                _“The player in the red seems to be having trouble deciding on his second Pokémon!”_ Terry said. _“If our rough-and-tough Cue Ball doesn’t pick a Pokémon in the next forty seconds, he’ll forfeit the match!”_

                God! It was impossible to concentrate with that blabbermouth talking over everything! And why did he keep just calling him a “Cue Ball”? Rough and tough. Ha. Right.

                Well if they wanted rough and tough, he’d show them rough and tough. “Machamp, let’s do this!”

                The Pokémon burst from its Poké Ball and flexed its four powerful arms. Karen smiled. “Alright! Umbreon, Shadow Ball!”

                Umbreon fired a shadowy blast from its mouth at Machamp.

                “Machamp, jump over it and use Earthquake!” He grinned. Machamp was his partner – they knew each other inside and out. Commanding Machamp was like commanding an extra limb. Or in this case, an extra four limbs.

                Machamp slammed down with a fist on Umbreon, pounding it into the ground.

                Umbreon exploded in a puff of smoke.

                Karen winked. “Oops! Looks like you got my Substitute!”

                Umbreon stood behind Machamp – shaken by the Earthquake, but not stirred. Machamp stood back up, wobbling a little as he balanced his top-heavy torso.

“Feint Attack,” Karen purred. Umbreon vanished. Machamp looked around, left, right. Up, down.

A shimmer behind him.

“Haymaker!!” Nicky shouted. And with that one word, Machamp knew exactly what to do. Without even looking, it threw back Dynamic Punch and pistol-whipped Umbreon over its shoulder just as it appeared.

It went flying across the field and slammed into a wall.

 _“Sharkeisha!”_ Terry shouted. _“Sharkeisha no!!!”_ Then he laughed. _“Sorry folks, couldn’t resist. That was a damn powerful punch! Umbreon’s barely standing!”_

“And the best bit of that Dynamic Punch?” Nicky said, chest suddenly swelling with pride. “It dazes the opponent into confusion!” But then he paled.

Karen was smiling. “Oh, I know.”

Crap. “Synchronise!” How could he forget?

Machamp was swinging his four arms around, batting at invisible Pidgeys.

“Machamp! We need to finish this now! Dynamic Punch again!”

Machamp raised up a fist, and smacked himself in the jaw.

“Machamp, stop it!”

“Umbreon, return!” Karen recalled her Pokémon, and sent out another one. “Vileplume, use Solar Beam!”

Vileplume’s petals glowed, and it began to charge up.

“No! No! Machamp! Snap out of it!”

Another blow to the chin.

“One more try?” Karen offered, grinning like a fox.

“Machamp use Dynamic Punch!”

Machamp shook himself free, then leapt forward towards Vileplume.

And Solar Beam hit him, dead on, shotgun range.

Hurled backwards, he landed on his back, and lay still.

“Machamp is unable to battle! Vileplume wins!” The referee shouted, and the crowd went wild.

Nicky recalled his Machamp with a sigh, then, raised his chin, and strode up to Karen.

Karen turned, eyes widened as she saw the imposing figure looming over her.

He thrust a hand out, and flinched when she flinched.

Nevertheless, he stood firm. “Thank you. For the brilliant match.”

She shook it. “Um, you’re welcome.” She smiled.

Dropping the handshake, he nodded at her, then marched away, rigid as a board.


	19. You Have Been Weighed On The Scales And Found Wanting

“Well, Reggie – looks like it’s gonna be you and me in this round!”  Alexis said. “You know, I’d say may the best Trainer win, but she obviously will!” She fanned herself with one hand.

                They’d passed Reggie as they’d gotten in the door on the way home.

                Reggie smirked. “Right.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “You and your... pet.” He looked at Typhlosion, who beamed at him, completely oblivious to the cynicism in his voice. He scoffed. “Please, Alexis – I’ve got you all figured out from just that last round. As soon as you go up against me, you’re finished.”

                And with that, he slid his keycard into his room door and left her fuming in the corridor.

She shouted at the unresponsive door. “Oh yeah? Why don’t you come out here and say that to my face!”

Joseph cringed. “Uh, he did say it to your face, Alexis.” She shot a glare at him with the strength to melt boulders, and he shut up.

Alexis stomped off down to the kitchen. “God, that guy is an asshole. Arceus knows why he’s so damn popular.”

“Probably the same reason Will is,” Jenny said, shrugging. “People like assholes. Especially from a distance. They make them feel good about themselves.”

The door clicked open as Joseph followed Alexis into the kitchen. Jenny was the only one to see Nicky come in. “Hi! How’d your match go?”

Nicky froze on the spot. “Uh, yeah, good. Well. Not good. I lost, but. Yeah.”

Jenny cringed. “Me too. We’re having macaroni to cheer ourselves up. You want some?”

“Um,” Nicky looked at his feet. “Yeah. Sure.”

The guy sure was timid for a six-foot, bald tank in a leather jacket, she thought.

 

**

 

The cheesy pasta steamed upwards in curling plumes that filled the kitchen with a rich smell. Alexis was perched on the window again as Joseph dolloped portions out.

                “Do you have an aversion to sitting in a chair?” he asked.

                She noted his pink frilly apron. “I don’t know,” she said, as he brought her bowl over. “Do you have an aversion to cool?”

                “I can’t get cheese all over myself, these are my best shorts!” he argued, as he took the apron off and neatly folded it away in the drawer.

                “Wow. Thank you for proving my point.”

                “There is absolutely nothing wrong with shorts,” Joseph said, shovelling a forkful of pasta into his mouth. “They’re comfortable. And—“

                “Please stop eating with your mouth full,” Jenny piped up.

                Joseph clamped his mouth shut, picking at his food while grumbling internally. Eventually, he swallowed, and said, “This, from the girl who wears footy pyjamas everywhere.”

                Alexis snorted.

                “So,” Joseph said. “What’s your strategy for beating Reggie?”

                She laughed, choking on a bit of pasta, and hung her head out the window while she coughed it up.

                “Strategy? Strategy is for Reggie’s type. I’m just going to win.”

                “Uh, I think strategy is why Reggie _always_ wins?” Joseph said. “He probably has your style figured out by now, so you should probably change it up to surprise him.”

                “Hey, lay off, ok?” Alexis said. “I didn’t fight my way here to start changing who I am!”

                “Ok! Ok!” Joseph put his hands up. “Sheesh.”

                “Sorry,” Alexis said. “It’s just, it’s like the people who keep telling you not to just use one type of Pokémon. Like, I get it! I understand that’s how other people do it, and I see why! But they don’t accept when other people decide to do something different.”

                “I hate that as well,” Jenny said. “The close-minded rationalists. They’re insufferable.”

                Joseph sank into his seat. “So many ways of raising Pokémon... To be honest, I never really thought about _style_ , I just... did it. Maybe that was wrong.”

                “Maybe that was the natural way,” said a deep voice – they all turned. Nicky had been sitting quietly, eating his pasta. He blushed.

                “Yeah,” Joseph said wistfully. He turned to Alexis. “So go on then, what’re the pros of only raising one type of Pokémon?”

                She finished her macaroni and plonked the bowl down on the table. “The way I’ve always seen it, if you learn everything you can about one type, you can learn to cover its weaknesses. And you raise really strong Pokémon of that type. If you try and specialise in too many types of Pokémon, you get wishy-washy methods.” She raised a finger. “Have you never noticed most Pro Leaguers and Gym Leaders focus on only one type?”

                “You have a point,” Joseph said. “But don’t you run into barriers when you run out of things to learn?”

                Alexis stood up on the window-sill. “As if! There’s always more to learn!” She snapped her fingers. Typhlosion, who had been dozing in a ball on a chair, poked his head out. “Come on! We’re going to train!” And she jumped out the window and ran off down the gravel pathway, Typhlosion bounding out the window after her.

                Joseph leaned on the window ledge and watched them run off. “She’s so set in her ways. I kind of envy it.”

                “Do you think she’ll beat Reggie?”

                “I dunno. People seem to have a hard time beating him with brains. Maybe it does require brawn,” Joseph said. He shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out. It’s tomorrow morning – she’s got all night to prepare.” The mere thought of it made him yawn. “Well, I’m going for a nap. May as well make _some_ use of the time off this round.” He stretched as he turned round and wandered off down the corridor to go back to bed.

 

**

 

**Alexis**

 

She wished she’d been able to get a little more sleep. Even the few hours she’d managed to get had been fitful, and not helped. She was so wired.

                Reggie was the complete opposite to her. And now he was standing on the opposite side of the field, completely self-assured. She was putting her battling style, her way of life, to the test. And she would not yield.

                She’d win this, her way.

                _“It’s Firebreather Alexis versus Super Nerd Reggie! Reggie’s proven himself capable many many times in the past, and after that explosive sweep from Alexis in the last round, we’re definitely going to see some sparks fly this time!”_

                “Begin!” the referee shouted.

                “Typhlosion! You’re up!”

                Typhlosion ripped up the track as he bounded from the sidelines into centre stage.

                “Heh,” Reggie said. “So predictable. Slowbro, battle on!” He threw his Poké Ball and Slowbro stood ready to go.

                “Typhlosion, use-!” Alexis began.

                “Slowbro, Rain Dance,” Reggie said. Slowbro fired a blue beam into the sky, and clouds began to form from nowhere. Soon, rain was pouring down on the battlefield.

                “Oh no...” Alexis said. Typhlosion hunched his shoulders, cowering from the downpour.

                “You blast everything with your Fire attacks, or Solar Beam. You brute force your way through fights, but your strategy is weak,” Reggie said. “And I’m going to pick it apart piece by piece.” He smiled.

                Alexis grit her teeth. “Not all my moves.” She gestured to Typhlosion. “Double-Edge!” Typhlosion charged, having to push to get traction on the increasingly muddy floor.

                “Hydro Pump.”

                Typhlosion made it right up to Slowbro’s face before it blasted him in the face like a busted fire hydrant.

                _“OH! OH! Typhlosion takes a rain-boosted Hydro Pump right in the kisser! Not many Fire Pokémon could get up from that!”_

                Typhlosion stirred, pushed himself up, but then his hand slipped in the mud, and he fell over again. It took a good minute for him to find his feet.

                “Typhlosion, return. I’m substituting you.” Alexis held out a Poké Ball. Typhlosion looked hurt before he was enveloped in red light, and recalled to the ball.

                “What now, Alexis?” Reggie laughed. “Typhlosion is by far your strongest Pokémon and I’ve just rendered it completely useless. You may as well give up!”

                The crowd were chanting. “Reggie! Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!”

                A ball of something hard nestled in Alexis’ throat. “I don’t give up. I never give up. I’m gonna be a Fire Pokémon Master, and you think a little rain is gonna stop me?!” She wound up her swing and threw her entire body into the throw, spinning on the spot. “Ninetales! I choose you!”

                The elegant white fox appeared instantly, a flash of white in the muddy, dreary battlefield. And then, the clouds parted and the sun began to shine. The mud dried back into dirt, and the light shone down on the entire stadium.

                “My Ninetales has the ability Drought, Reggie! And that means, your little Rain Dance is gonna have to give way, cos it’s sunny out, and I fancy barbecue!!” Alexis shouted. “Ninetales, Solar Beam attack!”

                “What?” Reggie shouted. “This is impossible! My strategy was defeated! How will I ever-“ he cut himself off. He was laughing too hard. “Slowbro, Protect!”

                Slowbro conjured a green shield of light, and the Solar Beam bounced off, filling the sky with fireworks.

                “You know,” he said, taking his glasses off and wiping them on his shirt tail. “A battle, to me, is a battle. I don’t usually get caught up on winning or losing. But I have to say...” He pressed his glasses back onto his nose. They shone in the sunlight. “It’s going to be an absolute pleasure to defeat you so thoroughly.”

                Alexis stamped her feet on the ground. “Ninetales, Solar Beam again!”

                “Rain Dance.”

                Ninetales’ tails began to glow. Slowbro hurled another blue beam into the sky, and like that, the sun was gone and the rain began to pour again. The glowing tails dimmed slightly, a ball of light began to form at Ninetales’ mouth.

                _“Oh no! Alexis is in hot water now – with the rain up that Solar Beam is going to take forever to charge and Ninetales is a sitting duck!”_

                “Ninetales! Get out of there!” Alexis shouted, but Ninetales couldn’t even move. Its eyes darted around in panic.

                “Hydro Pump.”

                The torrent struck Ninetales, drowning the forming beam and sending her flying across the field. She landed in the muck, her beautiful white coat stained and muddy.

                She made an attempt to get up, then fainted.

                “Ninetales is unable to battle! Slowbro wins!”

                _“It’s down to Typhlosion now to take on both of Reggie’s Pokémon! But just how is Alexis going to overcome this rain?”_

“Typhlosion, go!!” she threw her Poké Ball. Typhlosion burst into existence, fighting to even stand, covered in mud.

                Her mind raced. She had to get rid of that rain, but Reggie could just call it back again! And if she tried anything, he’d just swat her down with another Hydro Pump...

                “Hydro Pump!”

                “Dodge it!”

                Slowbro shot another rain-boosted torrent of water; Typhlosion leapt to the side, landing in a roll, narrowly avoiding it. It huffed as it tried to catch its breath.

                “Typhlosion! Fire Blast!” Alexis shouted. Typhlosion shot a blast that would’ve engulfed the entire stadium in fire, but the rain dampened it, and it barely touched Slowbro. She stamped her foot down. The rain had soaked her from head to toe, but she couldn’t even feel it. “That’s it. Let’s burn that cloud to cinders. Fire Blast up at the sky!”

                “Hydro Pump!”

                Typhlosion reeled his head back, sending another blast of fire straight up, but then-

                Hydro Pump connected.

                Typhlosion dug his heels in, withstanding for just a second-!

                It was lifted off its feet, and landed on the floor, unconscious.

                “Typhlosion is una—“ the referee was drowned out by the sound of the fans.

                “Typhlosion!” Alexis shouted, running out to her fallen Pokémon. She pulled his head into a hug. “I’m so sorry!”

                A shadow fell over her. She looked up.

                “I told you.” Reggie was standing over her. “What planet would you have to be on for someone like you to beat someone like me?”

                Then she heard that the fans were laughing.

                They were all laughing at her. Hundreds of them. With shaking hands, she recalled her Typhlosion, and ran away. Ran like a drenched rat.

**

 

Alexis lay in bed, with Typhlosion in her lap. She felt so damn empty. It hurt her just to feel so weak. How had she never seen that coming? God! He’d been so smug about it as well. She could still hear the jeers of his fans.

                _“What’s the worst that could happen?”_ What a joke. She had never felt so horrible.

                Typhlosion stirred, and looked up at her. It smiled at her, and nuzzled into her belly. She smiled, weakly. Well, she’d just have to –

                There was a knock at her window. She frowned, and got up. She pulled a dressing gown over her pyjamas, as there was another knock.

                She unrolled the blinds. Two red smears had hit her window and were now dripping down. Tomatoes. “What the hell?” she opened her window. “Hey! Stop that!”

                There was a gang of them, all in hoods, and laughing. “Go home, clown!” one of them shouted.

                “You suck!” One of them threw something and hit her in the nose. She reached up and touched her face. Egg yolk stained her fingers.

                She had no idea what to do.

                Typhlosion’s head peeked up, and he leapt to the window, barking manically. They ran away, jeering.

                Typhlosion turned to her. She caught sight of herself in the mirror, sticky egg dripping down her front. They’d walked right up to her room. Oh God, what if more of them came in the night?

                She stumbled to the bathroom, and hunched over the toilet, throwing up. Her eyes welled up, and she began to cry.

 

**END OF PART TWO**


	20. CSI: Indigo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get Act 3 guys - been bogged down with so much coursework, and probably will be for a few weeks to come, but I'll try and get the next part after this out sooner, since we're halfway through the story now!

The latex glove snapped to his wrist as he pulled it on tight. Adjusting his suspenders, he squatted over the wrecked control panel. Officer Jenny was shining a mini-torch into it. Someone had been tampering with the wiring.

            “So, Doctor. Diagnosis?” he asked.

            “Josh, go home. Don’t you have Happy Days reruns to watch?” she closed her eyes in exasperation at her younger cousin.

            “Well, I could – but I got the Blu-Ray box set. So I can watch them whenever I want.” He beamed.

            She shook her head. “Make yourself useful, hold this up for me.” She passed the flashlight to him, and he held it over her shoulder so she could take fingerprints. “I think the person was wearing gloves – we’re not gonna get anything we can use here.” She whipped off the latex gloves, rolled them into a ball and threw them in the bin. “It just doesn’t make any sense...” she muttered.

            “What doesn’t?” Josh said.

            “What’s the motive?” She stood, and looked past the panel at the fence which it controlled.

            “Well, clearly they want in at the Moltres Flame,” Josh said, resting his hand on one of the bars and looking in at the burning pyre. They were high up, and the wind whipped at it, but it did not die.

            “But the person who broke in here wasn’t trying to break it,” she said. “That much I know for sure.” She stared at the panel, deep in thought. “It’s almost as if they were trying to figure out how it worked.”

            “Someone who... admires our security system?” Josh said.

            Jenny cocked her head. “Uh, no.” She replaced the door on the panel. “If they’d just broken the panel it would’ve dead-locked the door. Maybe they knew that. I mean, they did think to wear gloves.”

            She looked down the three hundred stairs to the battlefield. At night, it looked so eerily empty. The stands full of shadow applause. For a second she was glad she wasn’t here all year round – the Indigo Plateau Jennies would probably have to patrol this place every night, even when the tournament wasn’t on. She shuddered at the thought.

            “Did you get any CCTV footage?” Josh asked.

            Jenny scoffed, and pointed up at the foot of the cage around the Flame. A molten ball of twisted metal hung off it like a dead arm. “If you want to try and get any footage off that thing, be my guest. They torched it.”

            Josh squinted. “Was that some kind of Pokémon attack?”

            “Maybe. Or it could be some kind of explosive. Frankly, I think these cameras are a waste of time and money. This always happens,” she said. “If we could just find someone to do nightwatch. But with the tournament, we’re so short staffed....”

            She looked up. Josh’s grin looked ready to split his face.

            “No,” she said.

            “What? Why?”

            “Because you’ll probably...” she looked for a plausible consequence. “Open the gate for them. I don’t know.”

            “I promise I won’t!”

            “We’ll ask the Captain when we get back,” she said, knowing the answer would be no. This seemed to placate him a little. “Anyway, there’s not much else we can do here – and I have morning duty tomorrow. I’m going to get some sleep.” She yawned, and made her way down the stairs, trying not to look at the dim, shifting shadows cast by the Moltres Flame on the bleachers.


	21. The Fire Was Gone

Joseph banged on Alexis’ door again.  “Alexis! Come out! I know you’re in there!” It was almost midnight, but he couldn’t take this silence anymore.

            Again, no response. God, she’d been like this for two days. He couldn’t really blame her – he could hear the catcalls going past her window.

            He’d have to try a different tactic.

            He marched up to Reggie’s door and banged on it so hard he nearly put a dent in it.  “Reggie! Open the door!” He continued to bang it until it opened.

            He dropped his hand awkwardly.

            “What do you want?” Reggie said.

            “I want you to go on that blog of yours and tell your fans to leave Alexis alone,” Joseph said. “This is ridiculous – she’s terrified to even come out of her room!”

            “Tch.” Reggie removed his glasses. “Look, I’m sorry – but what these people do has nothing to do with me. I’m not their boss.”

            “No. You’re just their favourite toy. Now go tell them to play with someone else.”

            He was getting nowhere. He turned, and Reggie shut the door on him.

            He rubbed his sinuses.

            “Still no word, huh?”

            Jenny’s door was open a crack and she stood, poking her head out in her pyjamas.

            “I don’t see how this can end,” Joseph said.

            “Me neither,” she said. “But she’ll have to come out eventually. Round 3 starts tomorrow.”

            Joseph felt bile rise up in his throat.

#

 _“Everybody listen!”_ Terry’s catchphrase was echoed by the hundreds of audience members. The excitement was palpable. It didn’t fill the pit in Joseph’s stomach. She hadn’t even turned up for this...

            _“We’re back Pokémaniacs! And today we announce the final round-robin! If you’ve not done as well as you’d like, now’s your last chance to prove you have what it takes to get to the finals!”_

            On the board, hundreds of contestants’ faces swilled  in an animated whirlpool of colour.

            _“And our final matchups are... Randomizer, on!”_

            There was a cannon shot, and the names snapped into brackets. Joseph scanned them, looking for familiar faces.

            Reggie was fighting Karen. Interesting. He couldn’t see her losing to him – which was good, given what happened to people who lost to Reggie.

            Will, Jean-Luc, fighting people he didn’t know... Jenny against Nicky and...

            Oh, no.

            Oh no oh no oh no. Why did it have to be now?

 

**

 

Alexis was standing in the bleachers, a hood over her face. She’d left Typhlosion at home. He was too inconspicuous. She’d never realised before just how strong a tool anonymity was. They all just walked around, safe in the knowledge that they didn’t stand out enough to be made a spectacle.

            But now she stood out. Now she was a target.

            The faces lined up on the screen.

            She looked at her feet. Well, that would make sense.

            Clearly, someone up above did not want her to win this contest.

            Her photo from the beginning of the tournament, grinning with wild abandon, stared out at the crowd that hated her. And next to it, her opponent for this round, was Joseph.


	22. Confrontation

“Hi,” Joseph said.

            “Hey.” Alexis refused to look up at him. “So. You saw the matchups for this round.”

            “Yeah,” Joseph scratched his head. Frankly, he hadn’t wanted to have this conversation outside a public bathroom but he’d spotted her from afar on the way home and had cornered her. “But, this is a good thing. We’re friends – we can go all out and regret nothing.”

            “I’m dropping out,” she said. “Maybe in a year they’ll all have forgotten who I am. Like some old Internet meme.”

            “What?” Joseph said. “No! Alexis, no! You have to fight this!”

            She shrugged. All of the fight had left her... She swallowed. “How do you fight something with so many heads?”

            “I-“ Joseph said. “I don’t know. But...” He put his hands on her shoulders. “You stood up for me. When I thought I was alone, you helped me. You gave me a leg to stand on.”

            She looked up at him, her blue eyes watering. “I think this is a little bigger than back then, Joe.”

            Joseph squeezed her shoulder encouragingly. “It’s the same problem. And it needs the same solution. I’m going to do everythi—“

            “ _Bonjour_ ,” came a familiar voice. They turned to see Jean-Luc. The Frenchman cupped a hand to his mouth, eyeing Joseph’s hands on Alexis’ shoulders. “I hope I am not interrupting?”

            Joseph’s hands flew to his sides. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

            Jean-Luc giggled, then, he seemed to realise who the girl in the hood was. “Oh! _Mademoiselle_ Alexis!”

Joseph clamped a hand over the Kalosian’s mouth before he could blab to everyone around them.

His skin was soft like a girl’s, Joseph thought, and he blushed.

            “ _Désolé_ ,” Jean-Luc said, apparently not noticing Joseph’s flushing. “But I am very sad to have seen what I have seen, _mademoiselle.”_

“Yeah,” Alexis said, looking askance. “Me too.”

            “Anysing I can do to ‘elp,” he nodded solemnly. “I do not like to see such a bright light smothered in such shadows.”

            “Thanks, Jean-Luc, real poetic,” Joseph snapped. “Very helpful.”

             Jean-Luc shrugged, hiding a hurt look. “Apologies. But do not wait to approach me if I can do anysing.” And he moved on.

            “He was only trying to help,” said Alexis, as soon as the Kalosian was out of earshot.

            “He wants to help, he can put a damn shirt on.” Joseph narrowed his eyes at the flimsy tunic that hung loosely around Jean-Luc’s shoulders.

            “What is up with you recently?” Alexis asked.

            “I’m... I don’t know. I’ve never had to deal with stuff like this before.”

            “Joseph, this is my problem. It has nothing to do with you.” She was so indifferent when she said it it almost hurt him. “Please, just... Just leave me alone.”

            And she was gone.

            He kicked up dust with his shoes. “Sorry, Alexis. But I’ve got a debt to repay.”

 

**

 

The clock on the wall blinked 1 am into the dark room. Joseph was lying in bed, unable to sleep. For the last hour, he’d been throwing an empty Poké Ball up to catch it when it inevitably sank back towards Earth.

            A breeze whistled through the room. He’d felt claustrophobic and had opened his window, but it wasn’t helping. A thin shaft of moonlight broke through the gap in the blinds, the only reason Joseph could see his hand in front of his face.

            Lost in thought, his hand slipped catching the Poké Ball, and it landed on his nose with a thump. He gave a short, involuntary shout, and then clutched his nose. It was bleeding, a lot.

            Running to the bathroom, he tried to remember whether to tilt his head up or down. In the end, down seemed easier so he let the blood gush into the sink as he wiped the area down with wet tissue paper.

            _Jesus. What do they make those Poké Balls out of?_ The entire bridge of his nose had been split open.

            When the bleeding finally seemed to stop, he wiped the last of it up and threw the used flannel in the toilet, flushing it. Leaning into the mirror, he poked at it experimentally. _I hope it doesn’t leave a scar..._

            Walking back into the room, he saw the Poké Ball, discarded on the floor. He picked it up, and saw the blood smear dried onto it. And in that moment, that Poké Ball took the form of all of his frustrations, and he lobbed it out the open window.

            It landed on the lawn outside, and opened – searching for a wild Pokémon to suck into its grasp. When it didn’t find one, it lay there, dejected and open at the hinge. He leaned on his window ledge, and scowled.

            There was a click, and his ears pricked up. He leaned out the window, and saw Alexis’ window swing out.

            “Where the hell is she going?” Joseph whispered, as she climbed out the window. As Typhlosion followed her out, she checked up, then down the street–

            Joseph yanked his head in. Whatever she was up to, it probably wasn’t good. He reached over to grab his shorts and pulled them on, poking his head out the window to see her turn the corner.

 

**

 

She was making it extremely difficult to follow her. If he got too close, they’d definitely see him, but a few times he nearly lost them because he was trailing too far behind.

            She was headed through the quiet part of town – you could still hear the nightlife in the distance, but here the lights were off as the residents slept. In fact, that worked to his advantage – the glow from Typhlosion’s neck acted like a beacon he could follow.

            Typhlosion jerked, suddenly, and stopped. Alexis turned.

            Joseph hid behind a bin.

            “Come out,” she said. She rubbed her eyes. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

            “That’s my line,” Joseph said, stepping out.

            “Jesus! What happened to your nose?”

            Joseph cleared his throat. “I tripped.”

            She snorted, smiling for probably the first time in days. “You look like you punched yourself in the face.”

            “That’s almost exactly what happened.”

            She stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Well done, genius.”

            “You’re getting off topic,” he said. “Where on earth are you going at this time of night?”

            “Drugs.”

            Joseph deflated. “Really?”

            “What? No!” Alexis said, stomping up to him and punching him in the arm. “Of course not, what do you take me for?”

            “Ow!” Joseph rubbed his arm. All the feeling was going out of it. “Where’d you learn how to do that?”

            “My sister,” she said, puffing out her chest. “I give the best dead arm this side of Mt. Silver.”

            “Good for you,” Joseph grumbled, waiting for the feeling to come back to his arm. “You gonna tell me what you were doing out here then?”

            Alexis looked at her feet. “Well to tell the truth...” she seemed to be thinking. “Secret training,” she said. “I don’t want to lose again. I can’t be put through that kind of humiliation.”

            Joseph smiled. “Getting back on the Rapidash. Let’s train together!”

            “No!” When she realised how quickly that had come out, she coughed to regain her composure. She looked at him, dead-pan and said, “You’re my opponent, Joe. Can’t go blabbing all my secrets to you.”

            “But-“

            “I’ve changed my mind for tonight. I’m going back to bed.” And she walked past him, leaving him standing by himself in the street.


	23. Secrets

The rap at Jenny’s door was loud enough that she heard it over her own snoring.

            Getting up, and wiping a dried rivulet of drool from her cheek, she trudged to answer it.

            It was Nicky. He was in his pyjamas and his lip was quivering.

            “What’s up?” she asked, barely able to see through sleepy eyes.

            His voice cracked when he spoke. “Sorry, I can’t sleep.”

            “Why not?”

            The dam burst and torrents of tears exploded from the man’s eyes. “I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT YOU IN THE NEXT ROUUUNND!” He sobbed loudly.

            That woke her up. “Hey!” she said compassionately, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t cry!”

            To be completely honest it was weirding her out. Just a little.

            She smiled at him. “Come on, let’s go get tea or something and talk about it.”

 

**

 

The kettle clicked, steam bubbling out the top. Jenny poured two cups of tea and passed one to him. The wracking, earth-shaking sobs had now subsided into a general tremor. He took the mug with trembling hands and held it to his face, breathing in the steam. It made his puffy eyes feel a bit better.

            “You got really worked up,” she said. “It’s still the round-robins, this is the best time to get put in a match with each other!”

            “I know, I- I just-“ Nicky started. “I don’t like battling with...”

            “Friends?” Jenny smiled.

            Nicky looked up, ecstatic. “You... you’d really consider us friends?”

            Jenny shrugged. “Sure! I mean, we don’t know each other _that_ well, but we’d stick up for each other, right?”

            “Yeah...” Nicky said, staring intently into the tea as though the meaning of life was bobbing around in it. “We’d have each other’s backs.”

            “Yeah, and if we have to battle in the tournament, then it’s good! Because we could feel happy, even if we lost.” She smiled.

            Nicky nodded.

            Then the door opened, and Joseph and Alexis wandered in.

            “Hey,” Alexis said. “We saw you were up.”

            “Where the hell were you two at this time of night?” Jenny asked.

            Joseph wandered over to the kettle. “We were going for secret training,” he said, foraging for a teabag. “But then we just decided to come home.”

            “See?” Jenny said to Nicky. “They’re up against each other but they were even going to train together for it!”

            Alexis produced a pack of biscuits from a cupboard. “Jesus!” she said to Nicky, noting his puffy eyes. “What the hell happened to you? Get a thorn in your paw, Ursaring?”

            Nicky sniffed. “Something like that.”

            Jenny shot her a look, and she shrugged.

            “So,” Jenny said, pointedly, “You’re walking around with the living again?”

            “For the most part,” Alexis said. “I tried to go out and get lunch today, and I got a milkshake in my face.” She munched another two biscuits in one go. “Seriously, if nothing else it’s becoming a waste of food. Why am I just this walking trash can to these people?”

            “Hey, you want a tea?” Joseph asked.

            “Nah, lost my appetite,” she said abruptly, and with that, she stood and took the packet of biscuits back to her room.

            They heard the door click locked behind her.

            Jenny sighed. “Starting to worry this Reggie thing isn’t just going to go away.”

            “I don’t think so. Maybe after the competition is over,” he said. “How do you measure the attention span of the Internet?”

            Nicky shuffled past them without saying anything, returning to bed. His door clicked as well.

            “And she’s not the only one I’m worried about...” Jenny said.


	24. Karen VS The Boys' Club

_“Karen has yet to lose a single match all season folks! She’s dead set on becoming Champion! But can favourite Reggie knock her down a few pegs? Umbreon’s Toxic stalling strategy seems to have thrown our cool-headed king for a loop!”_

            Slowbro was swaying on the spot, pale with a cold sweat, a purple tinge in its cheeks and across the bridge of its nose.

            Karen ran a hand through her hair. “You’re washed up, nerd! And you don’t have a leg to stand on! Umbreon! Foul Play!”

            Umbreon leaped forward and judo-flipped Slowbro over his shoulder, knocking it clean out.

            “Whaaat?” Reggie staggered back. He pushed his glasses up his nose, trying to hold his composure. But he was shaking. “Tch,” he said. “As expected from an Elite member of the Pro Leagues.”

            “And there’s a lot more where that came from!” Karen snarled. The crowd boo’d and hissed, and she faced it. “Oh what? You mad?!” She held her hands out. “Well go on! Get mad! Pick on someone who can take it this time!”

            Reggie pumped his fist in the air, his Poké Ball gleaming in the sun. “Your attention should be on me.” He’d regained his nerve after that blow.

            She smirked. “It’s easy to say that, but I’m pretty sure you _rely_ on those crowds messing with your opponents! You need the mobs to help you win!”

            Reggie twitched. “That is not true. And I’m going to prove it! Omastar I choose you!”

            The crowd began to scream: _“PRAISE LORD HELIX! ALL HAIL THE BASED GOD HELIX!”_

            _“Uh...”_ Terry said. _“I’m not even going to pretend I know what they’re talking about now. Damn internets.”_

            Omastar did a little booty wiggle, winking for his fans.

            Karen shuddered. “It’s so gross...”

            “Shell Smash!” Reggie shouted. Omastar’s shell glowed with light and then the light exploded, and Omastar grew to almost twice its size.

“Now you’re in for it!” Reggie shouted. “No-one gets past Omastar once he’s used Sh…” he trailed off. “Now what?”

            Karen had been smiling like an evil cat. “Nothing. Nothing.”

            “What?!” Reggie screeched. His voice cracked.

            “It’s just like you to use some slimy tentacle creature to try and intimidate me.” She arched her back, tossing her hair back.

            “I’m not trying to intimidate you!” Reggie shouted. “Jesus lady, what’s _wrong_ with you?”

            She grinned. “You’re still in this competition, that’s what’s wrong.” She licked her lips. “But don’t worry. I’m going to fix that. Umbreon! Foul Play!”

            Umbreon jumped forward, biting down on one of the spikes on Omastar’s shell. Spinning, it hurled it straight up in the air.

            “Now! Dark Pulse!”

            Mid-air, unable to move, Omastar squirmed as it fell directly on a blast of dark energy. It hit the ground, and struggled to its suckers.

            _“Looks like Omastar was holding a Focus Sash, which means it barely held on after that assault!”_

            Karen looked sombre now. “See? Not so easy to fight when your opponent is purposely trying to unnerve you, is it?”

            Reggie stuttered. “Wuh-what?”

            “You weren’t thinking about the battle at all! You told Omastar to raise its attack power knowing I had Foul Play, and then you made no attempt to try and stop my attack!”

            “But, but I…” Reggie trailed off.

            “This is what every opponent you go up against you faces. Not you, not your skill. Just your popularity, and your dirty tactics. Now, I’m a Dark Trainer! Dirty tactics are my meal ticket! But,” she paused for emphasis. “At least I’m winning with my own strength.”

            Reggie squeezed his fists until his fingernails were drawing blood from his palm. “Omastar!” he shouted.

            Omastar looked back over its shoulder, its eyes wide, with no idea what to do. It looked pale.

            He looked down at the ground. “If we attack she’ll turn it against us.. but if we-“

            “Too late!” Karen shouted. “Foul Play! Finish him!”

            The fossil Pokémon shouted for his Trainer to give him a command.

            “Omastar, use-!” but he was too late, and Umbreon hurled Omastar across the battlefield again, and straight into a wall.

            _“Omastar is unable to battle! Umbreon wins!”_

            Karen strode up to him, and curled up her nose. “That’s for that girl you bullied.”

            “I didn’t-“ he started.

            The crowd was jeering and throwing things now.

            She smiled at the chaos, and gave them all her best strut as she left.

 


	25. Late

_“We’re back Pokémaniacs! And up next is our old friend, Firebreather Alexis, making her first public appearance since her loss in the last round! And in the opposite corner, we’ve got Youngster Joseph – wow, dude needs to upgrade his Trainer class... – this is sure to be a fantastic battle!”_

            Joseph’s nose felt like it was double its normal size. It throbbed painfully, but he’d taken as many painkillers as he could. He didn’t want to hurt his concentration on the match. But where the hell was Alexis?

            _“Joseph is sure to be fired up to prove himself – after all, due to, um, clerical error, he has to get through the round-robin with only two possiblilities for victory!”_

            _Wow,_ thought Joseph. _Thanks for reminding me._

            _“And after Alexis’ painful defeat against favourite to win Reggie, I’m sure she’s wanting to get back on her winning streak! Speaking of which, she has still not arrived for registration. I’m told she has five minutes to show herself or she forfeits the match!”_

 

**

 

It felt like he’d been standing on the podium for hours, but still he urged the clock to move slower. She had 60 seconds to get here. She’d better have a damn good excuse for not being here...

            The referee began to approach Joseph. “Wait! Please!” he put his hands up. “She’ll be here! Give her more time!”

            _“Unbelievable Pokémaniacs! The player in the red is actually asking the referee to postpone the player in the blue’s forfeit! That’s showmanship, folks!”_

            “Ten minutes,” the referee said, consulting his watch. “At this rate, if she shows up, she’ll put our schedule out by the time the battle’s over.” He snickered. “That is if you don’t sweep her.”

            Joseph scowled.

The ref cringed. “Sorry.”

 

**

 

Half an hour had passed. The ref raised his flag. “Sorry, kid! By this point you were supposed to have _finished_ the battle!”

            _“The ref’s calling it folks! Our player in the blue has failed to attend and now forfeits the match! Joseph wins!”_

            The crowd were all but throwing things.

            _“Yeah... sorry to waste your time folks,”_ Terry said sheepishly.

            This didn’t make any sense, he said. He really had been sure she would turn up. She’d seemed so hell-bent on being ready for it. Especially after Karen beating Reggie... And that sneaking out at night...

            Wait.

Why the hell was she sneaking out at night to train, only to stand him up?


	26. Caught Red-Handed

That night, Joseph waited for the tell-tale snapping open of the window latch, or for Alexis’ door to creak open.

            It happened, around two in the morning this time. Joseph suddenly wished he hadn’t taken those painkillers. They were working brilliantly but he was practically falling asleep. Watching her from behind his blinds, he waited for her to round the corner, and then followed her.

 

**

 

This time, he was sure to be stealthier.

            She was taking a different route. Joseph did his best to keep his distance as she walked along by the pier. She was trying to keep out of sight as well, he thought. No-one came here at night – it was all industry buildings, and the lake, which was off-limits to the public. Joseph remembered reading somewhere that this lake was the well-spring for the entire Tohjo Falls, and all the rivers all the way down Victory Road and Mt. Silver.

He was almost tempted to stop and watch it – Butterfree skimmed the water, moonlight shimmering off the surface of the lake and onto their wings....

            He shook his head as he remembered where he was, what he had to do. _God damn those painkillers._ He was beginning to think he was allergic to them.

            Alexis was almost out of sight. She was headed towards the stadium from the look of it. To hell with it. Time for him to reveal his hand.

            He jumped out, and grabbed her by the wrist. “Alexis!”

            She gasped. “Joe? What are you-?”

            “No! What are _you_ doing here? You sure as hell aren’t training for that fight, where you _jilted_ me!”

            “Joseph, keep your voice down!” Alexis shouted. Typhlosion was growling at him.

            “Alexis. Give me answers. You owe me that much at least.”

            “Let go of me!” she shouted, shaking her hand. “Jesus, Joseph, what’s wrong with you?”

            Joseph’s eyes were welling up. “I’m sick of being lied to!”

            Alexis deflated. “Oh, you big Snorlax.” She sighed. “Fine. If you must know...”

            She took a deep breath.

            Joseph could see two of her, swimming in his vision. His balance was starting to go...

            “I’m stealing the Moltres Flame.”

She tugged her hand free.

            Joseph stumbled as she did, mind swirling and groggy. “You..? You’re the thief?”

            “Joseph, are you ok?” Her voice was distorted, as if he was hearing her from underwater. He was starting to loll backwards.

            “No... I think...”

            And then his feet came out from under him, and he fell into the lake.

 

**

 

“Joseph!” she screamed at the edge. _“Joseph!”_

            His hands thrashed the surface, flailing.

            She had to help him. She had to do it _now_. She was a worse swimmer than he was – she reached for her belt... But none of her Pokémon could swim, of course they couldn’t!

            “Joseph!” she shouted uselessly by the side of the lake, reaching out a hand – but he was more than out of reach.

            His hand stuck out limply from the water, and then sank.

            Bubbles rose to the surface, then stopped.

            Alexis screamed.


End file.
